Warm Asparagus Salad with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

This post is sponsored by Eckert’s Farms, however, as always, all opinions are our own.

We always look forward to fresh, seasonal produce as spring approaches. This year, we’ve partnered with Eckert’s Farms to create an original recipe featuring their new crop of homegrown asparagus.

We start by cutting about 1/2″ of the bottom stem off of the asparagus. This ensures that you won’t have any tough, woody bites. Optionally, take a vegetable peeler and peel off the asparagus stems to remove the outer layer. This exposes the interior of the asparagus and makes the texture more consistent overall.

The inspiration behind this recipe came from opening our copy of The Flavor Bible, authored by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. This recipe highlights the unique taste and texture of the asparagus alongside earthy mushrooms and tangy goat cheese.

We hope that you enjoy making our warm asparagus salad with mushrooms and goat cheese using Eckert’s homegrown asparagus. Serve it for lunch for two with crusty bread, or eat it as a side dish for dinner.

Warm Asparagus Salad with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 20 min.

For the Asparagus:

1 bunch Eckert’s Homegrown Asparagus, 1/2” stem removed and cut on the bias into 1” pieces

8 oz Cremini mushrooms, stems removed and cut into half moons

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled atop salad

2 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs, sprinkled atop salad

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

For the Dijon Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon Dijon

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat a sauté pan to medium high. Add enough olive oil to coat the pan. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, and cook stirring occasionally until some color develops and the mushrooms loose most of their moisture. This should take about 10 minutes. Add asparagus and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If the pan seems dry, add a bit more olive oil as you cook. When the vegetables are done, set aside and make the vinaigrette.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a sauté pan, add Panko and stir occasionally until the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden brown. Set aside and reserve for salad topping.

While warm, plate the vegetables and top with a generous portion of the vinaigrette as well as the flat leaf parsley, goat cheese, Panko, and salt and pepper to taste.