Early Spring Chopped Salad with Asparagus and Cauliflower
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • For the salad:
  • 1 c. cooked wild rice
  • 1 c. cooked chickpeas
  • 1 bunch asparagus, approx. 13-16 oz., spears cut lengthwise and then crosswise into short pieces.
  • 1 small or ½ large head of cauliflower, approx. 11 oz., florets broken into small pieces.
  • (parmesan to shave on top of the salad– optional)
  • For the dressing:
  • 5 Tbsp. lemon juice (juice of 1 extra-large lemon or 2 med. lemons)
  • 3 Tbsp. minced shallot (1 med. shallot, minced)
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. For the salad:
  2. Prepare asparagus by cutting lengthwise and then crosswise into small pieces.
  3. Prepare cauliflower by cutting the florets off the stalk and then breaking the florets into small pieces.
  4. Steam the cauliflower florets in a few inches of simmering water for about 7 minutes, until soft but not mushy.
  5. Drain cauliflower florets.
  6. For the dressing:
  7. Peel and mince enough shallot to yield 3 Tbsp.
  8. Juice enough lemon to yield 5 Tbsp. of lemon juice.
  9. Combine shallot and lemon juice with extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and black pepper to taste.
  10. (For an even better version make the dressing in advance, or let the shallots infuse in the olive oil for a while to develop a stronger flavor. I wasn't that organized but you can be!)
  11. Combine the dressing with the veggies, toss and serve onto dinner plates.
  12. Top with shavings of parmesan, peeling strips of parmesan off the cheese with a vegetable peeler.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2014/03/06/early-spring-chopped-salad-asparagus-cauliflower/