Asparagus, Pickled Beets & Blue Cheese Salad

Submitted by Chicagoland Chef du Jour

"I created this salad after perusing some recipes here and using what I had on hand, avoiding anything too sweet. The pickled beets are just the right ouch of sweet & sour. Looks pretty too! The asparagus can be made well in advance. If your onion is too strong, slice and put in an ice water bath for 5 minutes and drain. Cooking time is blanching and ice water bath time."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus, 6 per person
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, for boiling water
• ice water, bath
• 1 small red onion, slivered using as much as you like
• 4 pickled beets, large dice, one per person depending on the size
• 1⁄2 cup blue cheese, crumbled use as much as you like, sub. soft goat cheese
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces champagne vinaigrette, I like store bought Girard's light

directions

1. Boil water for asparagus, add salt.
2. Make a ice water bath in a large bowl. You will use to shock the asparagus and halt the cooking.
3. Trim tough ends off of asparagus spears, leave whole.
4. Place asparagus spears in boiling water. Blanche for 2-3 minutes.
5. Quickly remove from hot water and place in ice water bath to shock.
6. Prepare onions and pickled beets as suggested.
7. Arrange asparagus spears on a platter or individual salad plates.
8. Sprinkle and arrange the onion slices, beets and blue cheese.
9. Top with a light champagne vinaigrette. I like Girard's brand.

Reviews

[eveinglesby]

This recipe is a main course in my opinion. I used a dribble of left over greek dressing in place of of the champagne vinaigrette, green onions in place of the red onion and then added roasted walnuts. I even used canned pickled beets! All of the above with the blue cheese and asparagus was a delightful combination. Delicious! Thank you.