AMELIA'S TUSCAN SPRING SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND ARUGULA
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Recipe by Amelia Winslow of Eating Made Easy
8 cups arugula or other baby greens
1 bunch asparagus, cut into pieces and steamed for 3 minutes
¼ cup thin red onion slices
1-2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Homemade croutons
Annie’s Naturals Tuscany Italian dressing, to taste
Preparation
To make croutons, cut some unsliced bread of any kind into chunks (this is a great time to use old bread or the heels of different loaves!) and toss with olive oil and salt. Place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool.
Meanwhile, place greens in a large bowl. Add about ¼ cup of the dressing and toss well to coat. Divide dressed greens among four large salad bowls or plates, then top each bowl with some of each of the remaining ingredients, finishing with the Parmesan cheese shavings. Drizzle a little more dressing over each salad (about 1 Tbsp) and serve. To make the salad vegetarian, replace the chicken with white beans or strawberry slices, or both!
Tips:
1 – Look for thin asparagus, which are more tender and great for salad
2 – After steaming asparagus, place the pieces in ice water to stop the cooking and maintain the bright green color (this is called “shocking”)
3 – Soak the red onion in ice water to reduce the sharp bite if you prefer a milder flavor
