I have to thank my sister-in-law for finding this recipe. She was hosting for a family birthday and had a bunch of asparagus that wasn’t going to stretch far enough for everyone. The original recipe was only potatoes and asparagus, but she threw in some salad greens and now we are forever grateful. My husband grows organic greens for a living, so salad is an everyday thing. But we can get into a rut of the same old, same old. This was a welcome variation, and so dang delicious! Even the pickiest salad eaters enjoyed it. (The blended onion is sort of a revelation to me, and I want to play with it more.)

Does this taste good with other toppings? You bet. We tried out sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts, and it was incredible. I really want to try it with broccoli. I’ve toyed with roasted celery. Crumbled bacon or diced ham sounds amazing (and would make it a meal!). Cheese and toasted nuts could also be right at home. There is so much room for tweaking this salad to your tastes! As long as you keep some sort of potato and the dressing, you’ll be sure to have something delicious.

Potato & Asparagus Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

Note: We have used microgreens since they are almost always on hand. But I am sure arugula or baby spinach or a mixture of the two would be tasty too. Honestly, I expect any salad green would be great. The amount is also variable. I’ve used as little as 6oz, as much as 12oz, and could see myself easily using up to 16oz. It depends if you rather the salad heavily loaded with a nod to greens or well topped but more balanced.

Ingredients:

[For the Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus]:

• 3lbs roasting potato (new, russet, gold, or red all work)

• One bunch asparagus, about 1 lb

• olive oil

• salt

[For the Dressing]:

• 1 small to medium sweet onion

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tbs Dijon mustard

• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbs maple syrup

• 3/4 tsp salt

• Few grinds black pepper

[To Assemble]:

• Salad greens, about 8-16oz

Directions:

[For the Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus]:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Chop potatoes into bite sized chunks. If you want, you can peel the potatoes, but I usually don’t. Place onto baking sheet, then measure drizzle generously with olive oil, about 4 tbs worth. Generously season with salt. (I found 1 1/2 tsp suited our tastes.)

3. Bake potatoes until nicely bronzed, crisped, and tender, about 45 minutes usually does the trick. About 10-15 minutes into baking, carefully scrape and toss the potatoes to help them bronze more evenly and not get completely plastered to the bottom of the pan. I tend to scrape and toss my potatoes every time I check them after as well, and often test a chunk or two to see if they need more salt. You want the potatoes to be well seasoned.

4. While the potatoes are baking, snap or cut the tough, fibrous ends off the asparagus. Then place on a baking pan and toss with a drizzle of oil, about 1 tbs worth. Sprinkle with salt, a generous couple pinches or about 1/4 tsp.

5. When potatoes are done baking, remove from oven and let cool to lukewarm or room temperature.

6. Place asparagus in oven and bake until tender and vibrant green, about 5-10 minutes. (If you are really on top of things, you can cook these sometime while you are baking the potatoes.) Once done, remove and let cool to room temperature.

[For the Dressing]:

1. In a widemouthed mason jar (at least 2 cups or more), measure the olive oil, Dijon, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Dice the onion and then add it too. Using an immersion blender, blend thoroughly. The dressing will be a pale yellow and on the loose and watery side. If not using right away, store in the fridge until needed. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a food processor or regular blender instead. If you don’t have a widemouthed mason jar, use a liquid measuring cup or other suitable container that is deep and wide enough to hold the ingredients and not send them flying while blending.)

[To Assemble]:

1. When cool enough to handle, chop asparagus spears into 1 inch chunks. Scrape into a large salad bowl. Add potatoes and salad greens. Pour dressing on top and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated. Enjoy!