Asparagus Salad with Whipped Lemon Goat Cheese

Blanched asparagus, cucumber, and sugar snap peas are marinated in a parmesan apple cider vinaigrette. It's served with a creamy whipped lemon goat cheese, crispy prosciutto, fresh tomato and buttery croutons. Topped with arugula for a peppery bite. If you love sauce and dressings, this salad is for you. 

Yield: serves about 3 people 

Time: 30 minutes   

Ingredients 

• Croutons 
• 2 larges slices of sourdough bread 
• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese 
• dash of fresh cracked black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 4 slices of prosciutto 
• Whipped Lemon Goat Cheese
• 4 ounces herbed goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt 
• parmesan apple cider vinaigrette  
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (add more if desired) 
• 1 tablespoon dijon 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese 
• 1 bunch of asparagus 
• 1 heaping cup of sugar snap peas 
• 1 medium cucumber 
• 2 cups arugula 
• 2 roma tomatoes (really any tomato will work)

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Make the croutons by placing 1-2 tablespoons of butter on a sheet tray. Place the tray in the oven to melt. In the meantime, slice sourdough bread in cubes. 
• Pull hot sheet tray out of the oven with hot butter and toss the cubed bread, olive oil, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan in the hot butter. Place back in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. 
• Place prosciutto slices, spread out evenly on another sheet tray, in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. 
• Make the parmesan apple cider vinegar vinaigrette by first grating the parmesan on a microplane. Set aside. I’ve found the finer the parmesan the more it gets throughout the dressing and adds more flavor in each bite. It thickens the dressing as well and helps it stick to whatever you place it on. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, dijon, salt, and ground pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Whisk in grated parmesan. Set aside. 
• Clean asparagus by snapping off the ends of the stalk. Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Using tongs immediately place the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to allow the asparagus to cool. Drain once cooled and allow the asparagus to dry off. 
• Chop sugar snap peas and asparagus into bite size 1 inch pieces. 
• Slice cucumber in half vertically. Using a spoon, remove and toss the seeds. Chop into bite size 1 inch pieces. 
• In a medium size bowl, mix together chopped sugar snap peas, blanched asparagus and cucumber. Mix 3/4 (or desired amount) of your parmesan apple cider vinegar vinaigrette into the bowl. Mix together and allow the vegetables to marinate. 
• To make the whipped goat cheese, add herbed goat cheese, lemon juice, salt, and plain yogurt to a food processor. Pulse until combined and scrape the sides between pulses to ensure everything is evenly combined together. Pour into a small bowl. 
• Toss arugula in a medium size bowl with the rest of your parmesan apple cider vinaigrette (or desired amount). If you don't like a lot of dressing, I would skip this step. 
• Slice tomatoes into thin slices. 
• To assemble: 
• On a large platter, spoon desired amount of the whipped lemon goat cheese on the bottom of the plate. 
• Add marinated asparagus mixture on top of whipped goat cheese. 
• Top with dressed arugula. 
• Add croutons, tomatoes and crispy prosciutto for garnish. 

Recipe Notes: 

You can make one large platter or have each individual assemble their own plates. This would also be incredible with farro as well.