A bright and beautiful Spring salad made with seasonal asparagus tips, fresh green peas and sprouted chickpeas. Slather in a tangy lemon tahini dressing for a sumptuous finish. Ready in 5-10 minutes.
Can I eat asparagus raw?
Yes, you can eat asparagus raw. It’s sometimes eaten shaved beautifully thin in salad recipes. I love it like this where it’s the star of the show! ✨🌱💕
When is asparagus in season in the UK?
Although now widely available most of the year in our supermarkets, asparagus is in season for just a few weeks in the UK from late April until the end of June.
Is asparagus a healthy food?
Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E. In addition, it is a very good source of dietary fibre, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B3, potassium, choline, vitamin A, zinc, iron, protein, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid. Additionally, it is a good source of magnesium and calcium (source).
Other sprouted chickpea salad recipes:
- Watermelon Chickpea Salad.
- Pomegranate, Rocket and Chickpea Salad with Hummus.
- Peach and Watercress Salad with Chickpeas.
Plus:
Recipe variations
Asparagus - if preferred, you could shave the raw asparagus or half it lengthways if the tips are a little thick. Thin green beans will make a lovely alternative if you don’t like asparagus.
Snow peas - fresh peas or mange tout will also work well in this recipe instead of snow peas.
Pea Shoots - I love to use baby greens in my salads, especially during spring and summer. For this recipe, I include tender pea shoots to compliment the raw asparagus and the snow peas, but most leafy greens will work well in this recipe.
Sprouted Chickpeas - while sprouted chickpeas are my favourite because of their light flavour and crispness, you could swap them out for cooked chickpeas or use fresh sprouts. Microgreens like red radish or sprouted lentils will work well too.
Asparagus and pea shoot salad.
Equipment
- Sharp knife.
- Chopping board.
- Large plate or serving bowl.
- Small bowl for the dressing.
- A small spoon for mixing the dressing.
Ingredients
- 40 g a big handful baby leaf salad greens with pea shoots.
- 6-8 thin asparagus tips.
- 1-2 baby cucumbers.
- 8-10 sugar snap peas.
- ½ cup (65g) sprouted chickpeas.
- 2-3 spring onions.
- small handful fresh dill.
Lemon tahini dressing.
- 1 tablespoon tahini.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
- 1 tablespoon water.
- juice of ½ a lemon.
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed.
- salt & pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Bend each raw asparagus spear from the bottom, and snap them where they start to break. Discard any woody bottoms.
- Slice the sugar snap peas into 2-3 pieces each, lengthways.
- Rinse and drain the sprouted chickpeas. Pat them dry with a piece of kitchen roll or on a clean tea towel.
- Slice the cucumber into rounds. Finely slice the spring onions and roughly chop the dill.
- Dress a plate with the pea shoots and baby greens.
- Arrange the asparagus spears, sliced snow peas, cucumber and sprouted chickpeas on top of the salad leaves. Top the salad with a sprinkle of spring onions and dill.
- To make the salad dressing, add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl. Mix thoroughly using a spoon until it all comes together into a smooth and beautiful creamy salad dressing. Do a quick taste test to make sure it’s to your liking.
- Serve your pretty salad with the dressing on the side and reserve any left over for later in the week. Will keep well for 3-4 days if stored in a suitable container and refrigerated.
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