WARM ARTICHOKE & ASPARAGUS SUMMER SALAD

Warm artichoke & asparagus summer salad image

This dish is all about vegetables at the peak of their season

Provided by Gordon Ramsay

Time 1h30m

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

4 artichokes , trimmed
2 lemons , halved
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 star anise
large thyme sprig
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
large bunch (about 30) asparagus spears
4 handfuls small salad leaves such as micro-leaves
5 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion , finely chopped
2 spring onions , finely sliced
small bunch chives , finely snipped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I like to use white balsamic vinegar)

Steps:

When the artichokes are trimmed, find a pan wide enough to hold them in a single layer. Squeeze in juice from a lemon half and half-fill with cold water. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the spices, thyme, vinegar, artichokes and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 mins until soft. Turn off the heat and allow to cool (see tips, below).
Prepare the asparagus. First, cut off the woody ends, then use a swivel blade peeler to trim the ends, rotating them as you go so they end up the same thickness as the tips.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the asparagus for 2 mins, then drain and tip straight into heavily iced water. Leave until completely cool, drain again, then set aside.
To make the dressing, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan , then gently cook the red onion for 5 mins until soft. Turn off the heat stir in the spring onion and chives, then tip into a jug. Drizzle the rest of the oil and the vinegar into the dressing, then season to taste.
Get the vegetables ready. Drain the artichokes, then cut each into 6 wedges. Slice each asparagus on the angle into 3 pieces.
Wipe out the dressing pan and heat the remaining olive oil. Fry the asparagus with some seasoning until shiny and starting to colour, then scoop onto a plate. Place the pan back on the heat, then cook the artichoke wedges until they start to brown. Turn off the heat and you are ready to plate up.
Spoon a puddle of dressing into the centre of each plate. Balance the pieces of asparagus up against each other to circle the dressing. Arrange the artichokes among the asparagus so they're evenly distributed over the plate. Scatter over the salad leaves and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 310 calories, Fat 21 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 16 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 11 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 15 grams protein, Sodium 0.22 milligram of sodium