Summer Meals: Cold Asparagus and Shrimp Salad

There is nothing better than cold salad served for dinner on a warm summer night.  This is the perfect recipe to pack for a night out listening to the Summer Concert series in Ballard Park (Westport, NY) or just relaxing on the back porch enjoying the night air.  Serve it with a bottle of Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuiseé Chardonnay and a french baguette. Enjoy!


Cold Asparagus and Shrimp Salad

By: Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin, authors of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy


INGREDIENTS:

¼ pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed and spears sliced into 1½-inch lengths
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
¼–½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼–½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, depending on the sweetness of your lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
½ pound cooked shrimp
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Put asparagus slices in a steamer basket placed inside a pot filled with about an inch of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat, lower heat, cover pot, and steam asparagus until just tender (2 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness of the spears). Place asparagus in a serving bowl and let cool in the fridge.

While asparagus is steaming and cooling, combine lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl or a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Add olive oil and whisk or shake vigorously until well combined. Taste and add salt, pepper, or sugar if needed. Add onion, letting it marinate in the dressing for a few minutes.

Toss shrimp, basil, pine nuts, and cheese with the asparagus (reserving a little of the cheese to sprinkle on top after dressing). Add the marinated onion and lemon vinaigrette to taste (you may have some vinaigrette left over). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Photo Courtesy of Two Lazy Gourmets