Little Gem Spring Salad with Toasted Seeds and Herbed Goat Cheese
recipe by: Sarah Menanix
yields: 4side servings
5 from 1 review
Ingredients
For Salad
6small heads of little gem lettuce, leaves ripped apart
1lbasparagus spears, bottoms trimmed off and spears shaved with a vegetable peeler (*See note)
1cupsliced English breakfast radishes, from about 10-15 small radishes
⅓cupbroccoli sprouts, or other sprouts
3tablespoonssunflower seeds
3tablespoonspepitas, pumpkin seeds
¼cupchopped pistachios
¼teaspoonextra virgin olive oil
¼teaspoonkosher salt
Herbed Goat Cheese
1tablespoonpacked fresh basil leaves
1tablespoonchopped fresh chives
½tablespoonpacked fresh tarragon leaves
2ouncesgoat cheese, chèvre
Herbed Vinaigrette
2tablespoonspacked fresh basil leaves
2tablespoonschopped fresh chives
1tablespoonpacked fresh tarragon leaves
¼cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2tablespoonsgood-quality mayonnaise
¼cupwhite wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1½tablespoonhoney
Salt & pepper, to taste (a couple of pinches should do)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Layer the little gem leaves, shaved asparagus, radishes, and sprouts in a large salad bowl.
Toss the sunflower seeds, pepitas, and pistachio with olive oil and salt and spread them out in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly browned and fragrant for 10 minutes, tossing the nuts halfway through baking.
Meanwhile, prepare the herbed goat cheese. Pulse 1 tablespoon basil, 1 tablespoon chives, and ½ tablespoon tarragon in a food processor until finely minced. Add the goat cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Use a spatula to remove it from the food processor and set in the refrigerator while you prepare the vinaigrette.
Without cleaning the food processor, pulse the remaining 2 tablespoons basil, 2 tablespoons chives, and 1 tablespoon tarragon in a food processor until finely minced. Add the remaining dressing ingredients and purée until smooth and creamy.
Toss the dressing with the greens in the bowl. Top with toasted nuts and dot with herbed goat cheese. Serve!
Notes
*Depending on your peeler, each spear of asparagus will yield only 3-5 shavings. Chop and reserve the rest of the spear for a later recipe. Stir fry, anybody?
This nutritional information has been automatically calculated, and as such, may be incomplete or inaccurate. Please reference the specific ingredients you use for the most accurate nutritional information.