Asparagus, pea and spinach panzanella

Celebrate spring‘s finest fresh produce with this vibrant green salad. Here’s why you should add Kathy Slack’s asparagus panzanella to your May menu…

recipe
About Recipe
Asparagus, pea and spinach panzanella

Celebrate spring‘s finest fresh produce with this vibrant green salad. Here’s why you should add Kathy Slack’s asparagus panzanella to your May menu…

Ingredients :
  • ½ small red onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 150g trimmed asparagus
  • 150g fresh peas (podded weight – roughly 500g peas in their pod)
  • 50g baby leaf spinach
  • 2 tsp capers, rinsed and drained
  • 6-8 caperberries (optional)
  • 4 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint
  • 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
  • Finely grated zest ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
Directions :

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. For the croutons, finely grate the garlic clove into a bowl. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt, then muddle it all together. Tear the bread into rough bite-size pieces, add to the bowl and toss, squeezing the bread a bit so it absorbs the oil and making sure each piece is evenly coated. Arrange the croutons in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, giving the tray a jiggle halfway through, until the bread is lightly browned but still a little soft. Remove from the oven and set aside (far away from where you are cooking – they’re very tempting).

  2. Now for the salad. In a small bowl, submerge the red onion slices in the red wine vinegar and set aside to soften for at least 15 minutes.

  3. Steam the asparagus spears, whole, over simmering water for 3 minutes, then pat dry and transfer to a large, shallow salad bowl. Add the raw peas and all the other ingredients. Add the croutons. Drain the red onions and add them to the bowl too.

  4. For the dressing, simply whisk everything together with a pinch of salt and check the balance of flavours – it should be sweet but tart too. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss with gentle hands. I like to leave the salad ingredients to get to know each other for 5-10 minutes before serving so the croutons can absorb some of the dressing and soften just a little, as in a traditional panzanella recipe.

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