Avocado, Asparagus and Pea Salad with Lemon Vin

Featuring tender butter lettuce, avocados, asparagus and peas, this beautiful all-green salad will be a hit at springtime brunches. Developed by Gaby Dalkin, cookbook author and founder of the site What’s Gaby Cooking, the salad is dressed with a lemon-shallot vinaigrette that gets a boost from her aromatic Go To Blend. To blanch the peas and asparagus, cook them separately in boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute for the peas and 2 minutes for the asparagus. After blanching them, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and retain their bright green color. Drain and pat dry before tossing with the salad.

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 6 Tbs. (3 fl. oz./90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 tsp. Gaby’s Go To Blend


For the salad:

  • 3 small heads butter lettuce, leaves separated
  • 1 cup (5 oz./155 g) fresh or thawed frozen peas, blanched
  • 1/4 lb. (125 g) asparagus, blanched and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
  • 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced
  • 1 bunch fresh chives, snipped
  • Tender fresh herb sprigs, such as dill or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, shallot, garlic and Gaby’s Go To Blend.

To make the salad, in a large serving bowl, toss together the lettuce leaves, peas, asparagus, avocados and chives with the vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe courtesy of Gaby Dalkin, cookbook author and founder of What’s Gaby Cooking