Shaved Asparagus Salad

Asparagus is - FINALLY - in season again. Roast it, add it to a salad, snack on it like it's a carrot. Any way you eat it, it's a treat.

This recipe makes asparagus look even classier than it does in its natural state and it's a delicious way to make it into an impressive side dish. The best part? It only about 15-20 minutes to prepare.

Recipe Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS for the salad [feeds 3-4 people as a side]

1 large bunch of asparagus [shaved]
1 cup of sweet corn [hard to find this fresh, so frozen works fine. thaw before using.]
½ c. packed cilantro
½ red onion [sliced thin]

INGREDIENTS for the dressing

2 T lemon juice
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T raw honey
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh black pepper

Begin by washing the asparagus thoroughly. Then use a vegetable peeler to shave it into strip. Yes, we're aware that it looks like we're using a personal razor to shave the asparagus. But really, it's just this ceramic peeler which works great.

After shaving the asparagus and slicing the onion, place both into a large bowl and soak in ice water in the refrigerator for 25 minutes. Just enough water to cover the ingredients - no need to drown them.

While the asparagus and onion are chilling, throw your dressing together. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and use a fork or whisk to combine.

When 25 minutes have passed, remove the asparagus and onions and drain them. Put the mixture into another bowl [or just dry and reuse the first bowl]. Add the corn and cilantro and mix it all together. Lastly, pour the dressing in and combine well. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Café Sucré Farine.