I hope you have been able to get outside and enjoy the fabulous Spring weather. Mother Nature had some mood swings for a few weeks but I think (fingers crossed) she has finally sorted herself out and Spring is here to stay.
One of my favorite Spring vegetables is asparagus. It's packed with vitamins and minerals and can be added to almost any dish. It's excellent as a standalone side but so versatile that it's delicious in soup, salad, and casseroles.
I recently featured asparagus in a bright and flavorful quinoa salad slightly adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod that will have you licking your plate. The salad will take you about 20 minutes to make and shouldn't cost more than $10 to buy all of the ingredients. It's perfect to make during the week and will give you plenty of leftovers for lunch.
What you will need:
Salad:
Dressing:
How to make it:
1. In a medium pot add vegetable broth and quinoa and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn down heat to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes, constantly stirring.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, add asparagus to a large boiling pot of water and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and peas and return to large pot.
3. In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients together until well blended.
4. Combine the quinoa, asparagus and peas in the large pot. Add the avocado, lemon juice, basil, and pine nuts. Pour dressing over the salad and mix until well combined.
Enjoy!
One of my favorite Spring vegetables is asparagus. It's packed with vitamins and minerals and can be added to almost any dish. It's excellent as a standalone side but so versatile that it's delicious in soup, salad, and casseroles.
I recently featured asparagus in a bright and flavorful quinoa salad slightly adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod that will have you licking your plate. The salad will take you about 20 minutes to make and shouldn't cost more than $10 to buy all of the ingredients. It's perfect to make during the week and will give you plenty of leftovers for lunch.
What you will need:
Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
- 1/8 cup finely chopped pine nuts
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 fresh squeezed lemon
- 1 teaspoon agave
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make it:
1. In a medium pot add vegetable broth and quinoa and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn down heat to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes, constantly stirring.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, add asparagus to a large boiling pot of water and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and peas and return to large pot.
3. In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients together until well blended.
4. Combine the quinoa, asparagus and peas in the large pot. Add the avocado, lemon juice, basil, and pine nuts. Pour dressing over the salad and mix until well combined.
Enjoy!
