Asparagus Bean Salad

Asparagus Bean Salad

For the salad:

1 lb fresh asparagus (I used 2 lbs. and it was still plenty flavorful and I liked the extra greens—there is ample dressing)

6 dried tomatoes (I used sun dried bottled tomatoes instead—I couldn’t find the dried ones)

15 oz. white navy beans, drained and rinsed

¼ cup chopped onions

3 tsp capers drained (I don’t know that these were vital to the flavor of the salad, but they were good)

3 T grated Parmesan cheese

For the dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ Tbsp. brown sugar

4 T rice vinegar

4 T olive oil (if you use the sundried tomatoes, you can use some of the oil from them)

2 T water

1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp ground sage

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Place the asparagus in a small saucepan. Add 1” of water and cover and cook until tender-crisp. Drain & chill. If using the dried tomatoes place in a saucepan with 1” water. Cover and place over medium heat for about 4 minutes until plump. Drain and chop into small chunks and chill. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, brown sugar, oil, vinegar, water, mustard, sage, salt and pepper. In a large bowl toss asparagus, tomatoes, beans, onions, and capers. Pour dressing over all and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour. Before serving, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve. It’s DELICIOUS! Mmmmmm.

NOTE: The friend that shared this recipe with me mentioned that it was a bit pricey because of the asparagus. When it’s in season, it’s not too bad, but I thought that the flavors would go well with green beans as well, so you might give it a try.