Asians primarily use pea shoots/tendrils in stirfries, steamed, or whisked into soups. True to my lifelong raw pea obsession, however, I like them (and those pea sprouts) best in salads and other uncooked dishes. This salad is one of my favorites, combining three of the most iconic greens of spring — peas, asparagus and new spinach — into a delectable salad that can be used as a side dish, but is substantial enough to be a dinner’s main event.
This recipe is not only tasty, but also a visual delight, and is designed to feed a group. If, however, you’re only feeding a few, it can easily be cut down. Just use about a cup of spinach, and a half cup (these don’t have to be precise measurements) per person, as well as half a hard-boiled egg (although a whole egg per person wouldn’t be inappropriate if making this a main course salad). Figure on about one fourth of a pound of asparagus per person, although that can also be modified by your individual asparagus lust and the place the salad will have in your meal. If I’m making this for four, I’ll probably still put it on a round platter, but if there are only two of us, I’ll use individual oval plates.
The dressing is one I make frequently, not just for this salad, but also for spinach salads with bacon and blue cheese, and countless others. There are many good bottle dressings that you could use if you don’t want to make your own, but once you taste this one, I’ll bet you’ll want to make it again.
PEA SHOOT, ASPARAGUS, AND SPINACH SALAD
For the dressing:
1 c. extra-virgin olive oil
5 T. red wine vinegar
4 T. sour cream
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dry mustard
2 T. sugar
Freshly ground coarse black pepper to taste
1 T. chopped fresh parsley, preferably flat-leaf
#1 T. minced garlic
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and let stand for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 400°. Wash and dry the spinach and pea shoots separately and put the spinach in a large bowl.
Cut the tough ends off the asparagus spears, and place them in a single layer on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle the asparagus with the 2 T. of olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt. Bring up the sides of the foil together to enclose the asparagus and crimp the edges to seal, keeping the asparagus in one layer. Put the foil packet on a baking sheet, place in the oven and roast just until tender. This will take 10-20 minutes depending on your oven and the thickness of the asparagus. Remove from the oven, open the packet, and let the asparagus come to room temperature.
Toss the spinach with 1/3 c. of the dressing and spread evenly on a large round platter. Divide the asparagus into 6 bundles and place the bundles around the spinach like the spokes of a wheel. Nestle the pea shoots in between the bundles and in the center of the platter. Place 2 of the pepper strips in an “X” over each bundle. Arrange the egg slices decoratively around the platter, sprinkle the almonds over the top and drizzle with a little additional dressing. Serves 6
* Pea shoots/tendrils or pea sprouts can be found at farmers markets in the spring and Asian markets.
# Green garlic, the young shoots that resemble scallions, are a wonderful springtime treat and work well in this dressing. They also make fabulous garlic bread. Look for them in farmers markets.
