This salad gives a little bit of everything in the healthiest way: the fresh crunch of green vegetables, a salty punch from olives & capers and a creamy, tangy & slightly sweet dressing to bring it all together.

You can add or remove ingredients to your liking, a really nice soft cheese like goat cheese or blue would be a great creamy addition! Also, crispy bacon or pancetta would be LIGHTS OUT!

Be prepared to be asked by friends and family for the recipe to this one! :)

MAKES

4-6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

for the salad:

1 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped & washed

3 cups Spinach, washed and stems trimmed

6-8 stems Broccolini, leaves removed and stems peeled

8 stems Asparagus, cut into 1” pieces (I used white asparagus as it was in season, but any variety will do!)

1 (2 oz.) jar Capers, drained well

1 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved

3-4 sliced Green Onions, green & white parts for garnish

2-3 tablespoons Pine Nuts, lightly toasted for garnish

Optional: calabrian chili dust, paprika or cayenne for a little heat to finish

for the creamy balsamic dressing:

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Honey

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon Dried Parsley

Healthy pinch of each Salt & Pepper

1/4 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

METHOD

prep the ingredients:

BLANCH THE BROCCOLINI: Place a medium sized pot filled 3-4” with water over medium heat until it comes to a light boil. Add the broccolini stems into the water and let boil for 5-6 minutes, until it is bright green in color and just tender when poked with a fork. In a separate medium sized bowl, put 2 cups of ice and fill with cold water. Using tongs, place the blanched broccolini into the ice bath. Once cooled, dry the broccolini well with paper towel and place on a cutting board. Dice the stems of the broccolini into 1/2” pieces and leave the florets whole for the salad.
SAUTE THE ASPARAGUS: In a medium cast iron or sauté pan, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the pieces of asparagus to the pan, season with a healthy pinch of salt & pepper, and using tongs toss the asparagus in the pan. Allow to sauté in the pan for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender when poked with a fork. Place the asparagus on a small plate and allow to cool.
CRISP THE CAPERS: In a small pot, add 1 cup of canola oil over medium heat until it reaches 325˚F (if you don’t have a thermometer, place one caper into the oil once it is heated, if it bubbles and fries when placed into the oil you’re ready to add the rest!). Add the drained capers to the pot, BE CAREFUL and stand back in case of splashing!!, and use a wooden spoon to separate them in the oil. Allow to fry in the oil, occasionally stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until they start to turn a browned color. On a plate lined with paper town, remove the capers with a slotted spoon and place on the plate to cool and allow the paper towel to remove excess oil.

prep the dressing:

In a small bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, mayo, honey, dijon, garlic powder, onion powder and dried parsley and whisk until well blended (it may take a couple minutes for the mayo to fully incorporate).
While continuously whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream to allow it to emulsify into the mixture and not separate.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or honey as desired.

prep the salad:

In a large bowl or on a late platter, begin by layering the romaine lettuce and spinach leaves on the bottom. Next place the blanched broccolini stems and florets and prepared asparagus. Layer the Castelvetrano olives, crispy capers, green onion & pine nuts.
Finish by sprinkling a little calabrian chili dust, paprika, or a small amount of cayenne for some heat if preferred.
Serve with the Creamy Balsamic Dressing and enjoy!

broccolini, asparagus & crispy capers salad (Copy)