This salad falls into a category of dishes many people rarely think to make, a vegetable or two cooked quickly and dressed simply; there are no herbs added to the dressing, no nuts, cheese, or other embellishments garnishing the dish—it is what it is.
This weekend, seeing the first asparagus of the season and thin pale leeks at the farmers market reminded me, yet again, how good a meal can be made with just a few ingredients .
I’m suggesting the lemon dressing used on my Caesar Salad, but any vinaigrette you like can be used, as well just as a drizzle of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.
Asparagus and Leek Salad
1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, lower two-thirds of stalks peeled
Salt
1 leek, trimmed of darkest green leaves and any outer layers that are blemished or fibrous, root left intact
1/4 cup lemon dressing (see category index for salads)
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, wash and trim asparagus as described above.
Place the leak on a cutting board and carefully make thin slices down the length of the leek. You will end up with 3 to 5 flat slices of leek, depending on how large the leek is. Now, make a series of narrow cuts down each leek slice to create matchsticks attached to the root; trim off root. You should have a pile of thin leek ribbons; if you do not, I appologize for not explaining the technique well enough.
Salt the water and add the asparagus; cook until it is tender but still has some bite. Remove with a slotted scoop, draining well, and place on a serving dish. Add leeks to boiling water and cook for about 1 minutes, until wilted; remove, drain, and combine with asparagus.
Let the asparagus cool to warm and toss with the dressing. Let stand at room temperature until serving. .
Serves 4 as a side dish, starter, or salad course
