This elegant grilled asparagus salad with jammy eggs, blistered onions, chewy spelt, and an attention-grabbing creamy dressing is the perfect way to celebrate the spring sunshine. Spelt berries are sold with their hulls intact, which means they’ll take a bit longer to cook but will reward your patience with al dente chewy nuttiness. They can be swapped out for rye berries, wheat berries, or gluten-free sorghum.
Asparagus Egg Salad with Tahini Miso Dressing
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) spelt berries
- 4 large organic eggs
- 1 large bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 2 tsp (10 mL) grapeseed or sunflower oil, divided
- 8 green onions, root ends trimmed
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) tahini
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) white or yellow miso
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp (5 mL) honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) sliced unsalted roasted almonds
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) capers
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories344
- protein18g
- fat16g
- saturated fat3g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates38g
- sugars7g
- fibre9g
- sodium433mg
Directions
01
In medium-sized saucepan, place spelt, 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) water, and generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a strong simmer, and cook, covered, until spelt is tender, about 40 minutes. Drain well. Bring medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Using slotted spoon, carefully lower eggs into water one at a time. Cook for 6 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle boil. Transfer eggs to bowl of ice water and chill for 2 minutes. Gently crack eggs all over and peel, starting from the wider end with the air pocket. Gently slice eggs in half; yolks will be runny. Build a medium-hot fire in charcoal grill, or heat gas grill to medium-high and grease grill grates. Toss asparagus with 1 tsp (5 mL) oil. Place on grill grate and heat until tender and charred in a few spots, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes. If stalks are large, they might take longer to cook. Generally, asparagus is ready when you can easily pierce the middle with a fork. Brush green onions with remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil. Place on grill grate and cook, turning once, until grill marks appear and they are fork-tender all the way through, about 8 minutes. Remove from grill. In bowl, whisk together tahini, miso, lemon juice, honey, and garlic. Whisk in warm water, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until a thin consistency is reached. To assemble salad, divide asparagus and green onions among 4 serving plates. Top with spelt, eggs, almonds, and capers. Drizzle Tahini Miso Dressing overtop.
Tip: Soaking whole grains, such as spelt, for several hours in cold water can slash their cooking time by about 25 percent.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Coconut Mango Panna Cotta
Inspired by its creamy Italian cousin, this vegetarian take on panna cotta swaps out the cream and gelatin for coconut milk and agar agar. Odourless and tasteless, agar-agar is a plant-based thickener derived from seaweed. It’s also a wonderful source of iron, fibre, and magnesium. If you plan on transporting these desserts, pour panna cotta into small jam jars. Once set, screw lids on top and place garnish in separate container. Once you reach your destination, simply garnish and serve.
Carrot, Radish, and Beet Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
This happy jumble of vegetables is not only beautiful to look at but also scrumptious. Try to use a rainbow of different colours for the most striking salad presentation. Feel free to replace the dried apricots in the dressing with another dried fruit you may have on hand. Dried cranberries, dried cherries, or golden raisins are all delicious alternatives.
Forbidden Rice Salad with Curry Tofu
In ancient China, black rice was called “forbidden rice” because only nobles were allowed to eat it. Luckily, today we mere mortals can harness its salad-perfect, slightly sweet, and nutty taste. Bright and fresh, this salad isn’t only flavourful with a winning mix of textures; it’s packed with nutrients, too. Mango tango If possible, use Ataulfo mango for this salad. Its honeylike flavour and custardy texture can’t be beaten. You’re looking for a bit of softness when pressed to indicate ripeness.
Quinoa Taco Salad
Your #mealprepgoals just got easier to nail. Quinoa, black beans, and tempeh provide a triple threat of plant-based protein in this large taco-style salad that holds up remarkably well. The quinoa will absorb the vibrant, flavourful dressing and still be perfectly tender by the time your next meal rolls around. You can toss on some cubed avocado, queso fresco, and/or broken baked tortilla chips for crunch just before serving. Raise a toast To add a deeper flavour to quinoa, consider toasting the grains before boiling in water. Simply heat a couple teaspoons of oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan, add dry quinoa, and heat, stirring often, until the grains are a couple shades darker and emit a nutty, toasted smell; then add your water. Plant-based redo For a plant-based option, you can top salad with slices of grilled tempeh or navy beans instead of chicken. To infuse dressing with savoury, cheesy flavour, minus the dairy, you could use nutritional yeast.