Best Tarragon Asparagus Salad Recipes

WHITE BEAN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH TARRAGON-LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• If using canned beans, drain and rinse. If using dried beans, soak in plenty of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and transfer to a medium pot. Cover beans by 2 inches with water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the bay leaves. Simmer until just tender but not at all mushy, about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon what kind of beans you're using. Drain.
• Break off tough ends of the asparagus. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice and cold water. Blanch trimmed asparagus for 1 1/2 minutes, or until just cooked through but still firm, then plunge them into the ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain. Pat dry and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In a blender or food processor, combine tarragon, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the lemon juice, and process until garlic is chopped. Pour in olive oil. Process until mixture is well blended and bright green, about 1 minute.
• In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together beans, asparagus and dressing. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.

TARRAGON ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Place the first 7 ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour., In a large skillet, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 1-3 minutes. Remove asparagus and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry. Refrigerate, covered, until serving., To serve, shake dressing again. Spoon over asparagus.

CITRUS-TARRAGON ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 4 in. from heat until skins blister, about 5 minutes. With tongs, rotate peppers a quarter turn. Broil and rotate until all sides are blistered and blackened. Immediately place peppers in a large bowl; let stand, covered, 20 minutes., Meanwhile, in a 6-qt. stockpot, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus in batches; cook, uncovered, just until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Remove asparagus and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry; cut into halves., Peel off and discard charred skin on peppers. Remove stems and seeds. Cut peppers into 1/4-in.-wide strips. In a large bowl, combine asparagus, red peppers and shallots. For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, orange zest, tarragon, honey, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended. Drizzle over asparagus mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving, stirring occasionally.

ORANGE-TARRAGON DUCK BREAST WITH GREEN SALAD AND ASPARAGUS-ALMOND RICE

Steps:

• Rub a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter. Lightly score duck breaks through skin, but not the flesh, in a cross-hatch pattern. Season duck breasts with salt and pepper and place in cold pan skin side down and turn heat on to medium-medium high. Cook until crispy, 15 minutes, turn. Drain off some of the fat and discard. Mix marmalade with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and tarragon, salt and pepper, reserve. Once you flip the duck, pour the marmalade sauce over top and reduce heat. Loosely cover pan and let the duck hang out a couple of minutes more.
• While duck cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot and toast nuts 2 minutes, add rice and toast 1 minute more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Trim off the top 4 inches of asparagus and thinly slice on the bias. Add to rice and cook rice 2 to 3 minutes more for a total of 17 to 18 minutes.
• While rice cooks, combine endive, cress and frisee in a salad bowl. Combine shallots and Dijon with 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and pour over salad. Garnish with oranges.
• Serve duck breast on salad with asparagus-almond rice alongside.

ORANGE-TARRAGON DUCK BREAST WITH GREEN SALAD AND ASPARAGUS-ALMOND RICE

Steps:

• Rub a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter. Lightly score duck breaks through skin, but not the flesh, in a cross-hatch pattern. Season duck breasts with salt and pepper and place in cold pan skin side down and turn heat on to medium-medium high. Cook until crispy, 15 minutes, turn. Drain off some of the fat and discard. Mix marmalade with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and tarragon, salt and pepper, reserve. Once you flip the duck, pour the marmalade sauce over top and reduce heat. Loosely cover pan and let the duck hang out a couple of minutes more. While duck cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot and toast nuts 2 minutes, add rice and toast 1 minute more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Trim off the top 4 inches of asparagus and thinly slice on the bias. Add to rice and cook rice 2 to 3 minutes more for a total of 17 to 18 minutes. While rice cooks, combine endive, cress and frisee in a salad bowl. Combine shallots and Dijon with 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and pour over salad. Garnish with oranges. Serve duck breast on salad with asparagus-almond rice alongside.

ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH CELERY LEAVES, QUAIL EGGS, AND TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cover eggs with cold water in a very small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 5 minutes. Rinse eggs under cold running water to stop cooking, then peel and quarter.
• Cut asparagus on a very sharp diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 inches long), leaving 2-inch tips. Halve tips lengthwise if thicker than rest of slices. Arrange asparagus on a steamer rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. Steam, covered, over boiling water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
• Whisk together vinegar and mustards. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking. Stir in shallot, 2 teaspoons tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss asparagus and celery leaves with half of vinaigrette and mound on 4 plates. Tuck quail eggs decoratively into salads. Drizzle salads and plates with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon tarragon.

ASPARAGUS AND POTATO SALAD WITH RIESLING-TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the asparagus to the ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry.
• Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, pulse the coriander seeds until coarsely ground. Add the tarragon, parsley and chives and process until finely chopped. Add the Riesling, vinegar and mustard and process until smooth. With the machine on, add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
• Peel and thickly slice the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Arrange the asparagus on 6 plates and drizzle with some of the dressing. Mound the potatoes on top, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.