Asparagus Salad with Beans and Feta

I love highlighting asparagus as soon as spring arrives, but unfortunately it felt out of place in an otherwise to-die-for sandwich I made earlier this month. This salad seemed a better platform to let the asparagus shine.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
• 1 cup rinsed and drained canned cannellini beans
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta (such as Veg Cuisine)
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Steam the asparagus, covered, for 2 minutes, just until crisp-tender.

Note: You want cooked asparagus to be vibrant in color and still quite crisp, not mushy or dull-colored.

2. Rinse the asparagus with cold water and drain.  Combine in a bowl with the cannellini, radishes, feta, and green onions.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mint, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

4. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the asparagus mixture and toss gently - be careful not to mush the soft beans and feta.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 150

Tasting Notes:
A very nice spring salad. Unlike a white bean salad I prepared last spring, in which greens and vegan shrimp overshadowed the produce, this version allows the crisp asparagus and radishes to take center stage. The mellow flavor of the beans was a nice contrast to the salty feta. The salad is only lightly dressed, so I would increase the vinaigrette, and definitely add more mint.

Rating:
3