It is spring time!! If you know me – personally, and Germans in general – we absolutely love our asparagus. Traditionally, it is eaten here with potatoes, and sauce hollandaise. But there are many different ways to enjoy asparagus, and so today I am bringing you this delicious Creamy Tomato Asparagus Salad.
This salad with blow your taste buds off its socks! We start with a creamy layer of sauce made with avocado and lemon juice, followed by delicious greens and of your choice, and then topped with cherry tomatoes, and asparagus fried off with both onions and garlic. I also added sun-dried tomatoes into the mix, which absolutely take this dish to a new level.
You know I am all about texture in my meals. They have to be delicious but they also need to have the right amount of creaminess, paired with crunch. There is little worse than simply biting into “mush”. I cannot stress how much this salad with fulfill all of those criteria – in the most delicious way possible!
Why Is Creamy Tomato Asparagus Salad Good For You?
Asparagus
Asparagus comes in green, white, and purple varieties. Whereas the green variety does not need to be peeled, you need to take the outer layer of the skin off both the white and purple varieties. Asparagus is high in vitamin C, A, K, E, phosphorous, and potassium. It also contains some zinc and iron, and quite a bit of folate which is excellent for cell growth and DNA formation, and especially important during pregnancy. Asparagus is also great in terms of its antioxidant content. It contains vitamin E, and C (which act as a double-whammy as you know), the flavonoids quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol, as well as some other polyphenols. Antioxidants are super important for our overall health as they fight oxidative stress and reduce free radical activity in our bodies.
The antioxidants found specifically in asparagus, have been shown to display anti-inflammatory benefits, as wel as antiviral, and anti-cancerous ones. As with all vegetables, asparagus is also high in fiber, in particular the soluble kind, which adds both bulk to your stool and allows you to pass more regularly and easily. Asparagus’s potassium content is also excellent for your blood pressure. Potassium supports your blood pressure twofold: (1) It relaxes your blood vessels, making it easier for your blood to be pumped around the body. (2) It takes out excess salt through urine. Asparagus contains an acid, which acts as a natural diuretic and may further support this process.
Last but not least, asparagus is on EWG’s clean 15 list, meaning that it contains little to no pesticides even when sprayed and therefore can safely be enjoyed in a non-organic form. What an amazing veggie, am I right?!
How can I adjust this Creamy Tomato Asparagus Salad recipe to my dietary requirements?
This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, and paleo. It only consists of a few whole food ingredients, so please enjoy this plant goodness!!
Similar Recipes on the Blog
There are so many delicious asparagus recipes on the blog!! If you like asparagus, be sure to also check out the following options and sauces to go with it:
- Tangy White Asparagus Salad
- Strawberry and Asparagus Salad
- Easy Sauce Hollondaise
- Italian Anti Pasti Salad
- Frankfurt Green Sauce (vegan)
And there you have it for this week 😍. I hope you enjoy this week’s delicious addition of optional salads. This one would also be great for a BBQ or weekend grilling or picnic. As always, let me know what you think by either commenting below and/or rating the recipe. Happy asparagus season!!
Creamy Tomato Asparagus Salad
Course: Main, sideCuisine: German-Italian inspiredDifficulty: Easy2
servings30
minutes20
minutes30
minutesThis Creamy Tomato Asparagus Salad has everything a good salad needs: Texture, flavor, and a delicious creamy sauce. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- For the asparagus
1 tbsp 1 olive oil
1 medium 1 -sized white onion
2 2 garlic cloves
500 gr. 500 green asparagus
50 gr. 50 sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
A pinch of salt and pepper
- For the sauce
1/2 1/2 an avocado
2 tbsp 2 olive oil
2 tbsp 2 lemon juice
1/4 cup 1/4 (60 ml.) water
1 tsp 1 garlic powder
3/4 tsp 3/4 salt
- For the salad
100 gr. 100 mixed lettuce
250 gr. 250 cherry tomatoes
How to
- For the asparagus
- Heat a large pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Cut the onion finely, and add to the heated pan with a little pinch of salt. Fry until translucent. Meanwhile, peal the garlic, and wash and chop the asparagus into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces. Be sure to trim off the ends, because they tend to be rather chalky. Add to the pan along with a good crack of pepper. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. You can soak them in hot water for a little bit if they are super dry and set aside. Continue to fry the onion, garlic, and asparagus mixture over medium heat whilst preparing the other ingredients for the dish. Be sure to stir occasionally
- For the sauce
- Add the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic powder, and salt to a small high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Take a large, shallow dish and add the sauce to the bottom and spread out
- For the salad
- Wash the mixed lettuce leaves (I used spinach, rocket, and baby swiss chard) and dry them (I use a salad spinner). Add on top of the avocado sauce.
- Now, add the dried tomatoes to the onion, garlic, and asparagus mixture. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut in half. Add to the salad leaves, and then add on the asparagus mixture (which should be done now – you can insert a knife into one of the stalks to check). Serve warm or cold, as desired and ENJOY this deliciousness! Recipe serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side.
