There are so many wonderful
vegetables right now! This salad will serve around four people.
What You Will Need
For the Salad
2 small bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1/2 pound of yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1 cup shelled English peas (about 1 1/4 pounds with the pods
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 cups mesclun greens or lettuce
1 pint "grape" tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
For the Dressing
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and quartered
1 cup of mayonnaise or yogurt
juice and zest from 2 lemons
sea salt, fresh black pepper
What Now?
To prepare the salad, bring around some water to boil over high heat in a large pot. Add asparagus, yellow wax beans, and English peas and stir well. Bring back to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Immediately drain into a colander (don't burn yourself with the steam) and refresh with cold water. Plunge everything into a bowl filled with ice water. When the vegetables are thoroughly chilled, drain them again and transfer to a large bowl. Add sugar snap peas and mix gently.
To prepare the dressing, purée avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. I generally use an immersion or hand-held blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to the vegetables and mix gently.
Arrange mixed greens on individual plates or 1 large platter. Top with the vegetables and garnish with strategically placed tomatoes. Serve immediately.