THE MOST BOSS SALAD EVER

It appears spring has finally arrived in a casual (and fashionably late) manner. We can finally put the comfort foods on the back burner and indulge in some lighter spring foods. With that, I’m sharing one of my favorite salads, THE MOST BOSS SALAD EVER. I came across this salad last summer when I was on the search for something new and fresh to make. Of course, it’s simple, healthy, and tasty because those are my three main prerequisites for putting a recipe in my rotation. Thanks to The Garlic Diaries for this one! What’s in it? Arugula, lightly roasted asparagus, cucumber ribbons, feta cheese, and a lemon, Dijon, and shallot vinaigrette. It’s light, yummy, and beautiful (with bougie flair) when assembled! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch of asparagus, fibrous ends removed, and sliced in half lengthwise*
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 hot-house cucumber
• 2 loosely packed cups arugula
• A few tablespoon of feta cheese (more or less to taste)
• For the dressing:
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon finely minced shallot (plus a little extra for topping)
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, prep your asparagus, and lay them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
2. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil (about a teaspoon), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
3. Toss to combine, and roast in your oven for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool
4. Meanwhile, make your cucumber ribbons. Using a vegetable peeler, peel your cucumber into “ribbons” – long thin slices. You will end up being able to do this on 4 sides of your cucumber – stop right before you get to the seeds
5. To make your dressing, whisk all ingredients together (lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, shallot) and season to taste with salt and pepper
6. To assemble your salad, start with the arugula. On top of the arugula, arrange your cucumber ribbons and roasted asparagus. Add a little extra minced shallot on top (optional) and sprinkle on your feta cheese. Another optional topping is a little bit of cracked black pepper
7. Dress the salad to taste and you’re ready to go!

Notes:

1. *You don’t NEED to slice the asparagus in half – it just looks more pretty/dainty and makes it easier to eat.
2. *You can use the dressing sparingly if you want. I like dressing, so I just dump it all on there!

P.S. An easy, tasty, and healthy chicken recipe!