Asparagus and Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almond Dressing
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Make the most of the brief asparagus season and serve a big platter of it topped with this zesty lemon dressing and crunchy almonds.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
2-3 bunches slim asparagus, tough ends snapped off
1 cup thick plain yoghurt
¾ cup raw quinoa, cooked (see Cook’s note)
Toasted Almond Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
zest 1 large lemon
sea salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
METHOD
Briefly blanch the asparagus in plenty of boiling, well-salted water until crisp/tender.
Drain and refresh the asparagus in a bowl of iced water then place on a clean tea towel and pat dry.
Dressing: Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan then add the butter. When sizzling, add the garlic and almonds and cook for a few minutes until lightly golden. Add the oregano leaves and lemon zest and cook for another couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice.
To serve: Spread the yoghurt over a platter and top with the quinoa. Arrange the asparagus on top and spoon over the dressing.
Cook’s note: Cook the quinoa in plenty of boiling water for about 20 minutes. Drain then rinse in cold water and drain well again. The cooked quinoa can be covered and refrigerated for 2 days ahead of using.
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