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Aug 2009  |  By Laura Hine  |  Comments (0)

Sesame Asparagus Salad Recipe

TAGS: recipes, salad, vegetables, side dish

You’re ready to grill burgers or chicken this weekend and need the perfect side dish. Wilmette resident Katie Hauser made this salad for a potluck once. Gracious friend that she is, she gave me the recipe.

I’ve been making it ever since because it’s one of those recipes that always works and everyone loves—even people who are not wild about asparagus.

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.

Ingredients
3 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2-1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup lightly toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Blanch asparagus in salted boiling water. Once tender, (a minute or two at most) drain, plunge in ice water, drain again and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, mix together garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half. This takes at least 5 minutes, and you’ll know it’s done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Take off the heat, and let it cool.

3. Mix soy sauce with the mayonnaise, then toss with the asparagus. You might not need all the sauce, so save the extra for grilled chicken or to add to leftovers for a salad. Garnish with the sesame seeds just before serving.

Shopping List
Produce
3 lbs. asparagus
1 head garlic

Other items
Rice wine vinegar
Sesame seeds (sold toasted in the Asian food section)
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Mayonnaise

Complete the menu: BBQ fare—burgers, hot dogs and potato salad