• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Salads with Anastasia logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Salad Index
      • 10 Minute Salads
      • Dinner Salads
      • Fruit Salads
      • Gourmet Salads
      • Green Salads
      • Make Ahead Salads
      • By Diet
        • Low Carb
        • Paleo
        • Vegan
        • Vegetarian
      • By Season
        • Spring Salads
        • Summer Salads
        • Autumn Salads
        • Winter Salads
    • Dressing Index
    • Spices & Condiments
  • Salad Tips & Tools
    • How to Guides
    • Salad Tools
    • What's in Season?
    • Measuring Cups and Spoons Worldwide
    • Liquid vs Dry Measures – what’s the differences?
  • Let's Shop!
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • A Seasonal Produce Guide
  • Vegetable Dictionary
  • Spring Salads
  • Summer Salads
  • Autumn Salads
  • Winter Salads
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • A Seasonal Produce Guide
    • Vegetable Dictionary
    • Spring Salads
    • Summer Salads
    • Autumn Salads
    • Winter Salads
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » By Diet » Low Carb

    Baby Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta

    Filed Under: Gourmet Salads, Green Salads, Low Carb, Summer Salads, Vegetarian

    Share1
    Pin32
    Tweet
    Share

    Wow your guests at your next dinner party with this easy to make Baby Asparagus Salad. So easy to prepare but oh so heavenly.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    CLOSE-UP OF BABY ASPARAGUS SALAD

    The delicate grassy flavour of the fresh baby asparagus is just magic with the creamy lemony ricotta in this salad, a wonderfully elegant salad that is easy to prepare.

    This antioxidant-rich salad is also very low carb, gluten-free and keto-friendly.

    When is asparagus in season?

    Even though you might find Asparagus in stores throughout the year Springtime is when it is in season and at its peak. This mean that not only does it look amazing and gorgeously bright green but it is at its nutritional best.

    Springtime is also when you are most likely to come across adorable little bunches of baby or 'mini' asparagus at your supermarket, green grocer or farmers market.

    'Mini' asparagus is just the small asparagus from the asparagus plant. These cute little stems are just 10 cm (4 inches) long and light green in colour. They have a subtle taste and a much more delicate flavour than larger asparagus does.

    CLOSE UP OF BABY ASPARAGUS & LEMON RICOTTA SALAD

    How much should I cut off my asparagus?

    Le'ts just put a large pot of water to boil first as we are going to be blanching them later for our salad.

    1. Hold the asparagus about halfway down the spear.
    2. Then bend the stalk until it snaps.
    3. Use this stalk as a guide to cut the rest of your asparagus stalks by lining them up.
    4. Once lined up cut the ends off with a sharp chef’s knife.
    • BENDING ASPARAGUS TO CUT OFF WOODY STALKS
      BEND THE STALK
    • SNAPPING ASPARAGUS TO CUT OFF WOODY STALKS
      SNAP THE SPEAR
    • LINING UP YOUR ASPARAGUS FOR CUTTING
      LINE THEM UP AND CUT THEM
    • CHOPPING ASPARAGUS
      CUT OFF ENDS WITH A SHARP KNIFE

    How to make baby asparagus salad

    1BLANCH ASPARAGUS
    Add some salt to your boiling water (this helps the asparagus to retain its bright green colour), then add your prepared asparagus.
    Blanch until tender approximately 2-3 minutes for the baby asparagus and slightly longer for the long asparagus 4-5 minutes.
    It will turn bright green and you will notice a grassy asparagus aroma.
    You want your asparagus to be cooked until it is al dente, just like your pasta.

    • BABY ASPARAGUS - ASPARAGUS IN WATER
      PUT ASPARAGUS IN BOILING SALTED WATER
    • BABY ASPARAGUS - BLANCHING ASPARAGUS
      BLANCH UNTIL BRIGHT GREEN

    2PREPARE LEMON RICOTTA
    In the meantime, we are going to prepare the lemon ricotta.
    Wash your lemon, wipe dry and then zest.
    Make sure you do this next to your boiling asparagus so that you can keep an eye on it – there is nothing worse than soggy asparagus.
    In a small mixing bowl add your ricotta, a pinch of sea salt and half of the lemon zest and gently mix until the ricotta and zest are well combined.
    If you find that your ricotta is a bit thick you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water to thin it out a bit.
    If you would like a smoother consistency for your lemon ricotta, just place your ricotta, half the lemon zest, a pinch of fine sea salt and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water in a small food processor and blitz until creamy.

    • RICOTTA AND LEMON ZEST IN A WHITE BOWL WITH SPOON
      ADD RICOTTA & ZEST TO A BOWL
    • MIXING RICOTTA AND ZEST IN BOWL
      SEASON & MIX WELL TO COMBINE

    3STRAIN AND COOL ASPARAGUS
    When your asparagus is ready, strain in a colander in the sink and immediately run cold water on top to stop the cooking process. 
    Drain well and leave in your colander, you want to strain out as much of the water as you can, otherwise, it will water down your dressing.

    • RINSING BABY ASPARAGUS UNDER COLD WATER
      RINSE UNDER COLD WATER
    • STRAINING & COOLING ASPARAGUS IN COLANDER IN SINK
      ALOW THE WATER TO DRAIN

    4ASSEMBLE SALAD
    Place your cooled and drained asparagus in a large mixing bowl add your olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and toss until well combined your asparagus should be well coated with the olive oil and lemon juice.
    Arrange your asparagus on one side of a salad platter then smear the ricotta on the other side. 
    Sprinkle the additional lemon zest on top and serve.

    • MIXING ASPARAGUS WITH DRESSING
      DRAINED ASPARAGUS IN BOWL + LEMON & OIL
    • BABY ASPARAGUS SALAD
      BABY ASPARAGUS & LEMON RICOTTA

    Can I make it ahead?

    This salad is perfect for entertaining as you can prepare most of its components the day before and just simply assemble it on the day.

    You can blanch and cool your asparagus, prepare the lemon ricotta, place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar and store them covered in your fridge.

    On the day dress your asparagus and arrange on a salad platter with the lemon ricotta on the side.

    What to serve with Baby Asparagus salad

    As this salad has subtle flavours I would pair this salad with white meats such as chicken, pork or seafood, especially good with salmon. We served ours with a whole baked salmon.

    What to do with leftovers

    In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, they will keep covered for 3-4 days in your fridge. Or you can stir leftovers through some pasta or to use as a frittata filling for an easy dinner.

    Keen to try more asparagus salads?

    • BLANCHED ASPARAGUS AND FETA SALAD
      BLANCHED ASPARAGUS AND FETA SALAD
    • OVEN-ROASTED-ASPARAGUS-BLOG-POST
      OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS

    BABY ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON RICOTTA

    BABY ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON RICOTTA

    This Baby Asparagus salad has very delicate flavours, the earthy but slightly grassy taste of the asparagus complements the creamy lemony taste of the ricotta beautifully.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    * Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Easy
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 172.98kcal
    Ingredients
    • 550 grams baby asparagus or standard (5 mini or 2 medium bunches)
    • 250 grams fresh ricotta (1 cup)
    • 2 tbsps lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 3 tbsps lemon juice
    Metric - Imperial
    Instructions
    • Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
    • In the meantime, rinse your baby asparagus under cold running water and cut off the woody part of the stems.
    • Blanch until tender approximately 2-3 minutes for the baby asparagus and slightly longer for the long asparagus 4-5 minutes.
    • Remove immediately when done and refresh in cold water so that it remains a bright green colour, then leave in your colander to drain well.
    • Add the ricotta, half of the lemon zest and a pinch of sea salt to a mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
    • Alternatively, blitz in a small food processor with 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water until smooth.
    • Place your asparagus in a large mixing bowl add your olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
    • Arrange your asparagus on one side of a salad platter then smear the ricotta on the other side. Sprinkle the additional lemon zest on top and serve.

    Video

    Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
    Calories: 172.98kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.66g | Protein: 6.76g | Fat: 14.54g | Saturated Fat: 4.74g | Cholesterol: 21.25mg | Sodium: 37.21mg | Potassium: 236.64mg | Fiber: 2.14g | Sugar: 2.11g | Vitamin A: 878.42IU | Vitamin C: 10.62mg | Calcium: 110.93mg | Iron: 2.17mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @salads_with_anastasia or tag #salads_with_anastasia!

    PINTEREST - BABY ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON RICOTTA

    Share1
    Pin32
    Tweet
    Share
    « Cherry Tomato Salad with Zoodles and Feta
    Broccoli Slaw with Avocado Mayo »

    About Anastasia

    Anastasia is a home cook introduced to cooking at a young age (8 years old) and hasn’t gotten out of the kitchen since! She had her own coffee shop and ran her own catering business for over a decade. Her love of salads developed as she was always the one responsible for making the salads for family get-togethers and friends functions.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    ANASTASIA FROM SALADS WITH ANASTASIA

    Hi, I’m Anastasia,
    Let me show you how to transform your salads from boring and limp to bright, fresh and exciting using in season fresh produce.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Looking for a recipe?

    Cheesy Salad Collection

    Various salads with cheese and a text overlay.

    Greek Salad Collection

    NARROW PICS OF VARIOUS GREEK SALADS WITH A TEXT OVERLAY

    Green Salad Collection

    VARIETY OF GREEN SALADS WITH TEXT OVERLAY

    Asian Salads

    ASIAN SALAD COLLECTION WITH TEXT OVERLAY

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Site Credits
    • Contact Me

    Sign-up for new salad recipes!

    Recipes & Tools

    • Salads
    • Dressings
    • Spices & Condiments
    • Salad Tools
    • What's in Season
    • Let's Shop!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 · Salads with Anastasia · All Rights Reserved

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsOKAY
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT