Little Gem Spring Salad with Toasted Seeds and Herbed Goat Cheese
yields: 4 side servings
Ingredients
For Salad
- 6 small heads of little gem lettuce, leaves ripped apart
- 1 lb asparagus spears, bottoms trimmed off and spears shaved with a vegetable peeler (*See note)
- 1 cup sliced English breakfast radishes, from about 10-15 small radishes
- ⅓ cup broccoli sprouts, or other sprouts
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoons pepitas, pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- ¼ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Herbed Goat Cheese
- 1 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- ½ tablespoon packed fresh tarragon leaves
- 2 ounces goat cheese, chèvre
Herbed Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon packed fresh tarragon leaves
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1½ tablespoon honey
- 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?
