Greek Salad with Asparagus

Greek salad with all of the fresh olives and tomatoes is always a favorite of mine. I wanted to make it a bit more seasonal and use some of the wonderful asparagus that we can get locally here this time of year. Cooking and blanching the asparagus for a few minutes keeps it crunchy, but gives it a bit more mild flavor. I’ve topped it with a light vinaigrette dressing and some goat’s cheese in place of the more traditional feta.

Ingredients:
2 medium heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 pound asparagus, chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup crumbled goat’s cheese
ground pepper, to taste

For the Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 a medium lemon
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Start a pot of water over high heat and allow the water to come to a medium boil. Place the asparagus in and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain water from the pot and place the asparagus in a water and ice bath and allow to cool.

While the water is starting, chop up and arrange the vegetables in a large bowl. When the asparagus is cooled, chop into 1/4″ pieces and add to the bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Sprinkle the dried basil on top.  Mix the dressing into the salad and top off with some goat’s cheese and fresh ground pepper. Serves 4-6.