We had some smoked salmon in the ‘fridge – hot smoked with pepper. Victor looked at it and said we needed some asparagus – he had an idea and wanted to make a salad.
I headed to the store.
One of the great things about both of us liking to cook is that we cook differently. We look at foods differently and can come up with vastly different ideas using the same ingredients.
It keeps it fun and interesting!
Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Salad
Salad:
- 1 pound fresh asparagus cut into pieces
- 1 cup pecans, broken into pieces
- 1/2 fennel bulb, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup peas, thawed, if frozen
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 1/2 pound smoked salmon, broken into pieces
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon good mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Lettuce of your choice
Directions:
Blanche asparagus until just tender – 3-5 minutes. Drain and cool.
Lightly toast pecans. Cool and set aside.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Mix asparagus, pecans, peas, fennel, celery, scallions, capers, and smoked salmon. Add 2/3 of the dressing and mix well.
To serve:
Place lettuce on plate and top with salmon salad. Add additional dressing, as desired.
Top with grated parmigiano reggiano.
The salads had absolutely everything going for them! Lots of crunch, lots of softer textures, and lots of individual flavors tied together with an awesome dressing.
The hot smoked salmon – as opposed to a cold smoked nova – is closer in texture to a traditionally cooked piece of salmon, so it’s thicker and flakes easily. And totally delicious. A piece of cold, broiled or grilled salmon could be substituted with slightly different results.
If you like salmon, this is one to try!
And… it’s a salad. Add or subtract ingredients as you see fit.
The recipe made enough for dinner, tonight, and lunch salads for a couple of days. My stomach is smiling at the thought of seeing this, again!