Raw Asparagus Salad with Prosciutto, Thai Basil, and a Spicy Lime-Parmesan Dressing

Consistent with my ever present need to splurge on veggies at the market, I bought a huge bunch of green asparagus a while back that I never took the time to use. I had to find a solution, and I didn’t have much time left. So I decided I’d go ham (pun intented) and use it raw with some Italian prosciutto.

As a light twist on my previous Asparagus Ribbons Salad, this recipe allowed me to use a whole bunch at once. Dressing-wise I substituted the lemon for lime, and added a bunch of spices to give it a little kick. Isn’t it so pretty?

    

If you’ve never tried it, raw asparagus is amazing! It’s very refreshing, crunchy and incredibly quick to prepare of course! I added the prosciutto for more protein but you can obviously omit it to make it vegetarian and replace it with some other form of protein.

This salad is perfect for hot summer days like the ones we’ve been having in Philly lately. It leaves you satisfied without feeling heavy at all. It’s also very elegant on a plate, and looks beautiful if you want to host a quick *fancy* lunch at yours. It won’t take time to prepare so you’ll be able to entertain your guests while you make it. It also holds very well when prepared in advance, as the acidity of the lime further softens the asparagus and makes it even more flavorful. Bon appétit!

---

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

• a good bunch of asparagus
• 2 slices of prosciutto
• 3 sprigs of fresh basil
• 1/2 tbsp lime juice, with zest
• 1/2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• a pinch of lemon pepper
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• sea salt

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry the asparagus. Chop them in small circular pieces and add them to a bowl.
2. Next, roughly chop the fresh basil, tear the prosciutto slices into thin strips, and add everything to the bowl.
3. Make the dressing by mixing the lime juice, zest, olive oil, parmesan, pepper flakes and lemon pepper together. A blender gives the best results but you can also simply use a fork.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing, adjust the seasoning, and enjoy!

Temps total: 15 minutes

Ingrédients: 

• une botte d’asperges vertes, fines
• 2 tranches de prosciutto (ou autre jambon cru)
• 3 branches de basilic frais
• 1/2 c.s de jus de citron vert, avec zeste
• 1/2 c.s de parmesan rapé
• 1 c.s d’huile d’olive
• une pincée de piment rouge
• une pincée de poivre

Etapes:

1. Rincez et séchez les asperges. Coupez-les en petits morceaux et mettez-les dans un bol.
2. Ensuite, ciselez le basilic frais et déchirez les tranches de prosciutto en de fins morceaux. Ajoutez le tout dans le bol.
3. Préparez la sauce en mélangeant le jus de citron vert, le zeste, l’huile d’olive, le parmesan, le piment et le poivre. Un blender vous donnera les meilleurs résultats mais vous pouvez aussi utiliser une simple fourchette.
4. Mélangez la salade avec la sauce, ajustez l’assaisonnement et bon appétit!

Advertisement