Nothing says “peace out” to winter quite like this Asparagus & Snap Pea Salad with Herbed Cottage Cheese! Crisp, blanched asparagus and snap peas sit atop a creamy, high-protein layer of flavorful herbed cottage cheese, making this a tasty, hearty, and easy lunch.
 
We all know that cottage cheese is THAT GIRL right now. But for me, it’s strictly a savory affair. No pineapple, berries, or melted chocolate on mine. It’s not that I dislike sweets, but something about the creamy, slightly tangy base of cottage cheese feels made for salt, herbs, and savory toppings. Give me cottage cheese with cracked black pepper, chives, cherry tomatoes, or even a handful of olives, and I’m in heaven. Spread it on seedy toast, dollop it onto a salad, or eat it straight from the bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cottage cheese. That is my jam.

This Asparagus & Snap Pea Salad is a “Blanch and Shock” Salad.

And if you’ve followed me for a while, you know that blanching and shocking vegetables is a cooking technique I love for the following reasons:

1. it helps vegetables retain their vibrant color by deactivating enzymes that cause discoloration; and

2. it enhances the texture of veggies. 

 By blanching the veggies in boiling water then shocking them in an ice water bath to halt the cooking process, we soften them ever so slightly so they retain their crunch. An added bonus: blanched and shocked vegetables can be used immediately in recipes, refrigerated for later use, or frozen for longer-term storage.

Asparagus & Snap Pea Salad Storage Tips:

Consequentially, this salad is great for meal prep, and will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. If making in advance, I recommend keeping the salad and the herbed cottage cheese separate.

Asparagus and Snap Pea Salad with Herbed Cottage Cheese

Servings

2

servings

 
Nothing quite captures the essence of spring like the marriage of tender asparagus and crunchy snap peas. As the frost of winter dissipates and nature awakens, my palate yearns for something invigorating. Enter this Asparagus & Snap Pea Salad with Herbed Cottage Cheese. It’s tasty, hearty, simple yet sophisticated, high in protein and meal prep friendly. 
 

Ingredients

• 16 oz. cottage cheese

• 1 cup finely chopped parsley

• 1/3 cup chopped dill

• the zest of one lemon

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

• black pepper

• Kosher salt

• 1/2 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed

• 4 oz. snap peas

• 1 radish, thinly sliced using a mandoline slicer

• 1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced using a mandoline slicer

• 1/2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

• Everything Bagel Seasoning

Directions

• Combine the cottage cheese, parsley, dill, lemon zest, 1 tbsp olive oil and a small amount of black pepper to taste. You likely will not need salt because cottage cheese is already salty.
• Bring 4–5 quarts of water and 2-3 tablespoons of Kosher salt to a boil in a large pot. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice, then add enough water so the bowl is two-thirds full. Make sure the bowl is large enough to fit all the asparagus and the snap peas. Add the asparagus and snap peas to the boiling water and cook for 45-60 seconds. Using a spider strainer or something similar (a regular strainer will work, just not as well), remove the veggies from the boiling water and plunge into the ice bath. Drain the veggies from the ice bath and pat them dry gently with a towel. This is vital, because if the veggies are wet, the salad will be soggy.
• Transfer the asparagus to the cutting board, then slice the asparagus thinly on the bias. Add the asparagus to a large bowl. Slice the snap peas thinly on the bias and add them to the bowl with the asparagus, shaved radishes, shallots, seasoned rice vinegar and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir to combine. Spread the cottage cheese mixture onto a large plate. Top with the salad. Garnish with Everything Bagel Seasoning.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thesaladwhisperer on Instagram and hashtag it with