Asparagus and avocado salad
an effort to save asparagus
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The other day, Huck (my youngest) said to me “I hate asparagus”. I already had an inkling that the love was not there as I had heard him decry Spring’s gift on previous occasions.
When my children claim they ‘hate’ or dislike a vegetable, I talk to them about WHY and WHAT they don’t like about it, and then I go silent. I don’t harp (like I do about countless other things in their lives). I hear them out, and I will {try to} respect their point of view.
My silence, however, is not a sign of acceptance. My mind will churn with workarounds. Usually when kids (or adults) don’t like a vegetable (or any food), it is due to flavour and/or texture. Sometimes it could be a memory of a bad experience. My husband went to boarding school from age 13, and today, still shudders at the words ‘cottage pie’. Sometimes there will be no saving an aversion - my older son’s {irrational} dislike of mushroom is a lost cause (for now…). But I was determined to save asparagus for Huck, by serving it in a way that he may have never tried before. A common tactic in encouraging someone to try something they think they don’t like is to team it with an ingredient they DO like. Enter avocado.
The salad I came up with is a raw asparagus and avocado salad with an Asian style dressing. The asparagus is sliced to optimize crunch, while avo introduces a creamy edge. The dressing is simple yet effective: there’s garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. I add sesame seeds for more texture.
The verdict: “It’s not as bad”
Not a runaway success. But he tried it, and was open to it. Small victories.
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A few new recipes this week! All NYT Cooking recipes have gift links:
Monday: If you have been looking for a vegetarian sticky rice recipe, this is for you: Mushroom and Tofu. Excellent for leftovers.
Tuesday: Lemony Pearl Barley Soup
Wednesday: Sweet and sour cauliflower
Wednesday: Lemony roasted mushroom pasta
Thursday: Hoisin garlic noodles, another new, super simple, pantry friendly recipe!
Friday: Yuzu-miso soba noodle soup
🥦 My cookbook, Tenderheart is for cooking vegetables, all year round. Pick up your copy here. It is also mostly vegan (or vegan-izable) and gluten-free adaptable.
Asparagus and avocado salad
© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love.
This salad can be dressed up, by tossing it through soba or rice noodles, on top of rice with a fried egg. In the Spring, when the asparagus is sweet, it is wholesome enough for me as a stand alone salad. I might add some cold silken tofu, or panfried tofu for protein. One avocado is fine, but add two if you’d like it creamier.
Serves 2 to 4
vegan and gluten free
1 garlic clove, grated
|2.5cm (1-inch) piece ginger, grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
450g (1 pound) asparagus, woody ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1 to 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, flesh diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
sea salt and white pepper
Substitute
Asparagus: snow peas, sugar snap peas, fennel, broccoli
In a large bowl, add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce or tomari, sesame oil, and rice vinegar and whisk to combine. Add the asparagus and avocado and toss to coat in the dressing. Add the scallions, sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.
Eat as is or see headnote for serving suggestions.
What a gorgeous sounding salad
I love this approach. My daughter is 12 and is a relatively selective eater, but definitely open to trying more new things as she gets older. Your son's comment reminded me of what she sometimes tells me about things i cook: "it's mid" 😂 as long as she eats it, that's fine! She's also a big avocado fan so I will definitely try this salad!