To the lady in the red blouse shopping at The Fresh Market last Thursday: Please forgive me for scaring you. I was that crazy woman with the rain-frizzled hair who startled you by yelling “Yes!” over your shoulder as you were bagging your asparagus. I’m really not that dangerous. Ask anybody (well, maybe not the man by the organic strawberries). It’s just that I’ve been waiting so long for asparagus prices to come down from the stratosphere, and when I saw that $2.79 price tag, I couldn’t control myself. I will take your advice and seek help (or maybe just an extra helping of roasted asparagus).
To my family: You don’t know this, but I bought two bunches of asparagus at the store and ate one for lunch on Friday (in this recipe!) I’ve written a poem in the style of William Carlos Williams to express my true feelings about holding out on you like that:
I Am Not That Sorry to Say
I have eaten
a bunch
of asparagus
that you didn’t even know existed
and which
you wouldn’t know about at all
if not
for this blog
Your loss!
They were delicious
so tender
and so green
To my readers: I scared a stranger and deprived my family in order to bring this recipe to you. I hope you’re happy!
Roasted Asparagus Salad with Chickpeas and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 medium gold or red potatoes about 10 ounces
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 bunch asparagus about 12 ounces, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small onion cut into thin wedges
- 2-3 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 1/4 cup fat-free balsamic vinaigrette such as my Balsamic-Raisin Dressing
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Cook the potatoes until tender but still firm in any way you choose (boil, microwave, or bake). Allow to cool slightly and cut into 1-inch dice. Place in a large serving bowl along with the chickpeas.
- While the potatoes are cooking, spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and sprinkle the onion over it. In a corner of the sheet, place the unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast until asparagus is tender yet still crisp, about 15 minutes, stirring once after 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Set the garlic aside to cool for a few minutes and put the asparagus into the bowl with the potatoes. When the garlic is cool, peel it and place it in a small bowl. Mash it well with a fork; then stir in the salad dressing. Pour the dressing over the asparagus and stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Spice it up with any of the following optional ingredients:
Red pepper flakes
Fresh or dried herbs such as oregano and basil
Sliced kalamata olives
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin and share:
Smile (and enjoy)!
Esther J
March 25, 2013 at 10:51 amI’m sure you feel better now that your conscience is clear with your family (but probably nowhere near as good as your tummy felt good when you ate them). 😉
I had my first asparagus of the season (roasted with garlic and juice of orange and lemon) last Saturday with brunch. Eagerly anticipating more to follow, probably at least once in this form.
Best to you!
Diandra
March 25, 2013 at 10:51 amYou made me laugh so much that I have to try this recipe. And I do not even like asparagus that much (hold your exorcisms – that was a bad idea when it came from the ex BF already).
Marie Arnold
March 25, 2013 at 11:42 amOh! I am so glad I am not the only one who is munching on all the asparagus I can get! I think I have an addiction! 🙂
This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I wasn’t sure what to have for lunch today…..now I do! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes that you share.
*hugs*
moonwatcher
March 25, 2013 at 11:47 amHi Susan,
I started laughing out loud before I even got to the poem! I’m sure William Carlos Williams is laughing in his grave as well!(That poem about the plums remains one of my favorites.) Not to not mention that the salad sounds fantastic! Soon I hope to be the crazy lady in the store yelling “yes!” that asparagus has arrived. I have a feeling it will be this week! Wonderful recipe. (And I’d have eaten the whole bunch, too, without telling anyone. ) Great post, great recipe!!
xoxo
moonwatcher
Arminda
March 25, 2013 at 11:58 amI LOVE asparagus, too! Thanks for another great recipe to add to my arsenal! And thank you springtime for all the bounty that’s about to come our way 🙂
Kathy Hester
March 25, 2013 at 12:00 pmThis post makes me miss you!
Debraq
March 25, 2013 at 12:25 pmI had to comment beccause I got just as excited reading this recipe as apparently you did planning for your asparagus adventure. I don’t meet that many people who get as enthused about vegetables the way I do, so this was very exciting. You made my day, as well as planned tonight’s dinner. I have fresh asparagus from the weekend Farmer’s Market! Yum!
And very nice poem! 🙂
Leila
March 25, 2013 at 12:34 pmDear Susan. Both your vigilence in the grocery store and your triage decision in the kitchen, alone with the asparagus, are appreciated by this devoted reader.
On a more sober note: Thank you for this blog. Your blog and recipes are turning me into a more confident and healthier cook. Even my husband has started eating what I cook! In fact, I might actually go out and buy, cook (using the recipe above), and Eat asparagus this year.
Leila
Maggie
March 25, 2013 at 12:37 pmI love the ode to William Carlos Williams almost as much as I love the sound of this recipe. Well done on both accounts!!
Cheryl
March 25, 2013 at 1:41 pmI love it when you’re funny!
Yesterday afternoon I had a similar experience at my local market. I spotted the asparagus for 2.99/lb and said OH! It just slipped out. A couple nearby looked at me like I was nuts. I pretended I had started coughing. I live in Texas. I think it is illegal to get happy over vegetables here! (kidding, fellow Texans). I got 2lbs and NOW I know what to do with the other lb. I ate one lb this morning, roasted with some pumpkin seeds, lime juice and orange juice. Just happened to have that blend on hand. omg.
Susan please.. never change! lol
Diana
March 25, 2013 at 2:12 pmYour enthusiasm for asparagus is absolutely hilarious. My sister loves them too, and so does my mom. Unfortunately, I’m not that crazy for them but I’m glad that this recipe is a keeper so that I will know what to do with them. Thanks again, Susan!
Marge
March 25, 2013 at 2:14 pmthat looks yummy. right now all the asparagus in my stores are pencil then and from Mexico, will wait until that fat Washington state ones arrive.
Connie Fletcher
March 25, 2013 at 2:16 pmNow you’re a bit scary…I think Spring (and asparagus) has gone to your head!! I do have a question…..I got a recipe for eggplant djuvec from our local health food store (which I would be happy to forward to you…). It is fabulous, but LOADED with oil..roasting eggplant just soaks up the oil. How do you roast eggplant without using tons of oil?
Maggie Carey
March 25, 2013 at 4:03 pmI did the same thing in my market when I saw the aspargus prices coming down—I live in Mahattan though, so we’re used to seeing crazy people all the time—I just fit in. Thanks for the recipe.
Sharon
March 25, 2013 at 4:37 pmThis is another combination I never would have thought of–but my husband & I both found it delicious. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand–the asparagus was just waiting for this inspiration. I made my own balsamic dressing using a maple-balsamic vinegar mixed with water, lemon juice, fresh basil, chia seeds & the mashed garlic. I baked the red potatoes & left their skins on. The house smelled wonderful while the veggies were roasting. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes–I will make this one again.
stephanie
March 25, 2013 at 5:19 pmMaybe it’s just me, but lately it seems like you’ve been posting simple, deconstructed recipes. And I love it! No sacrifice in flavor, but basic ingredients without a lot of labor! Thank you so much for sharing these healthy, delicious time savers! You are always on point!
Shannon
March 25, 2013 at 5:37 pmNot sure what’s more awesome– the recipe or the poem 🙂
Jackie
March 25, 2013 at 6:38 pmDo you serve hot or cold?
Susan Voisin
March 25, 2013 at 7:03 pmI ate it warm the first time and cold the second. It was good both ways.
Brenda
March 25, 2013 at 8:04 pmSusan … this gave me such a great laugh!! When I saw the blog post’s title, I right away went to close it, since I do not care for asparagus (hey .. more for you, OK?). But before I could close the page, my eyes caught the first sentence of your post, and I read thru the whole thing!! I can just picture the whole scene!! Wonderful story!!
Susan Voisin
March 26, 2013 at 1:40 pmBrenda, you just made my day! I’m so happy that I got a confirmed asparagus-hater to read my asparagus post! 🙂
Amey
March 25, 2013 at 10:05 pmha ha!! I love your asparagus poem SO MUCH, Susan!!
I love asparagus too. I’ve got a lovely bunch of it in my fridge right now!
Ellen
March 25, 2013 at 11:00 pmI made this recipe tonight since I happened to have all raw ingredients in house. I did not even bother to use the posted dressing, just mashed up six baked garlic cloves with some chili pepper flakes, S/P and a squeeze of lemon and mixed it into the potato/asparagus/chickpea dish. It was quite good. I think this makes a great breakfast too.
Susan Voisin
March 26, 2013 at 1:38 pmYour variation sounds great!
Kate
March 26, 2013 at 5:19 amOh, that looks DELICIOUS! Maybe when it stops snowing here, I might feel more inclined to eat salads. 🙂
Jamie | Thrifty Veggie Mama
March 26, 2013 at 8:27 amLove this salad! I am super excited to have asparagus again! I used it in a recipe this week too.
Diane
March 26, 2013 at 11:11 amOh, drat! I roasted (with garlic and a hint of salt) the last of my asparagus yesterday and had it for supper last night. I hope there’s more asparagus at the store this week so I can try your recipe – it sounds so good! I, too, wait all year for asparagus season and then pig out the first few weeks – ate the first bunch all by myself in one meal last week – mmmmm.
Diane
April 5, 2013 at 7:54 pmUpdate: asparagus was on sale this week, so I finally made this a couple days ago – Delicious! Definitely a keeper! I doubled the recipe and served it to several family members who aren’t vegan, though two are flexitarian, so they eat vegetarian meals often. I used your dressing recipe and put the leftover dressing on the table in case someone wanted more. The two who are strongly omni wouldn’t even try the salad -their loss. The rest of us liked it, though we agreed that it was a little bland and next time I should mix all the dressing into the salad instead of just the amount the recipe calls for.
Today I was looking through the leftovers in the fridge and found the last of this salad, but not enough for lunch. Then I found a large cooked beet leftover from another recipe, so I diced that and mixed it in. Everything turned a little pink, but it tasted great!
Nicole Leigh
March 26, 2013 at 12:17 pmMmm, asparagus is one of my favorites and this looks great! 🙂
lcarballo
March 27, 2013 at 8:13 amMade this for dinner last night and we loved it! The dressing was especially yummy. Can’t wait for lunch so I can polish off the leftovers.
Anjali
March 27, 2013 at 9:08 pmI had the same experience, when I saw the price was 2.99/lb, I was so happy to buy it.
moonwatcher
March 27, 2013 at 9:50 pmHi Susan,
I made this tonight and it is wonderful! I used half of my first bunch of asparagus, and two fingerling potatoes I needed to sue up, and my lemony pear dressing. I aimed for a single serving, but then discovered I was hungrier than I thought (why don’t I know this??) so I added a couple fistfuls of arugula and a spoonful of quinoa. It takes on these tastes quite well. I really l liked the trick of roasting the single garlic cloves. I feel like I ate my first “Spring” meal tonight!! Thanks!!
moonwatcher
Cesare Raphael DiAngelo
March 27, 2013 at 11:39 pmThe photos, both of them reflect a style and use of light that is starting to be a singular quality of your work. The thematic use of greens and yellows in the vegetables, napkin and framing dish foregrounded from a blurred whiteout is simply masterful.
Tina
March 28, 2013 at 9:39 amHi Susan! I’ve been subscribed to you for a couple of months now and I’m thoroughly enjoying your site and delicious recipes!
The reason I chose today to comment is your utterly Fantastic poem!!! I was utterly delighted to read it; gave me a Big Smile and a chuckle. You, my dear, are a HOOT! 😀
Just wanted you to know that you are appreciated…Thanks so much!
Renee
March 28, 2013 at 12:54 pmI made the Roasted Asparagus Salad with Chickpeas and Potatoes last night and it was wonderful! Thanks for a great recipe! I used store-bought Ken’s Balsamic Vinaigrette and it worked nicely. My coworker is raving about it right now as I shared lunch with her! Thanks again!
JoelM
March 29, 2013 at 10:52 amWe made it – it was fantastic!
janey
March 29, 2013 at 2:02 pmYour poem was delightful! I was instantly reminded of Mathew Macfadyen’s reading of the William Carlos Williams poem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d5bLf0gq2Q
I plan to make your salad this weekend and already know I will love it. Thank you!
Justmj
March 29, 2013 at 4:02 pmI just make this for lunch. I loved it! I put fresh rosemary in while cooking the asparagus. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Another E
March 31, 2013 at 9:15 amI, too, have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of reasonably priced asparagus. Yesterday, on a visit to an alternate grocery store, I hit the jackpot. Good looking asparagus on sale for $1.99 a bunch! I bought three and ate an entire one myself — roasted with a bit of salt and pepper.
The second bunch has been earmarked for this salad and I plan to add a portion of the third bunch to the mini crustless tofu quiches recipe (an old favorite).
Count me among the inspired.
Wendy
March 31, 2013 at 12:02 pmJust made this for Easter Dinner tonight. Snuck a little, very tasty, will definitely make again.
Lorri
March 31, 2013 at 2:07 pmJust finished making this for tonights dinner. This is soooo good. I too am a asparagus lover. On my 3rd bunch of the season. 2.59 a pound here. Once a got all the ingredients together in the bowl but before the salad dressing I thought to myself that this would be a great base for a tofu scramble. Maybe next time. Oh and I added the optional olives and it really added something to the whole thing. As usual…you are the best.
Jen
March 31, 2013 at 8:20 pmMade this tonight…so delicious! Pre-roasted the baby potatoes to make nice and crispy. Also added in some baby portobello mushrooms and some red bell peppers for color. Dressing was awesome…we cheated a little and used Trader Joe’s Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette. Will make again…had at room temperature and it was great!
Jessica
April 1, 2013 at 3:47 pmThank you for posting such a tasty, simple and healthy recipe. I love your website! I use it all the time and I thought it was about time that I told you so! Thank you for the recipes. I’ve found it surprisingly hard to find simple, delicious AND healthy vegan recipes… but you make it easy for me. THANK YOU!
mel
April 1, 2013 at 6:54 pmAnother amazing recipe. Just wanted to finally comment after lurking for over a year. There are so many great recipes on this site, whenever I come here it feels like visiting a friend. Thanks Susan! Thanks for enabling my addiction to healthy food, with recipes interesting enough to feed to my carnivorous husband, no less!