Spinach Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Rhubarb

This salad is bursting with some of Minnesota's finest early fresh ingredients!

Toss together until well coated:

1/2 cup sliced rhubarb (about 1/2” slices)

1 tsp. maple syrup (add a little more if you need to)

Place on a small baking sheet covered with parchment paper or smooth tin foil and bake 5 minutes in a preheated 450 oven. (Rhubarb should be tender, but holding it’s shape, and just starting to brown -don’t overcook or it will become mushy). Set aside and cool. See note below.

Toss together until well coated:

1/2 cup 1” asparagus pieces

1 tsp. olive oil

Roast in the same oven about 5+ min. (should be crisp-tender). Cool.

Assemble the salad:

Combine spinach leaves, a handful of toasted almonds (tip: Trader Joe’s sells them pre-toasted), the cold roasted asparagus and rhubarb, 1-2 Tbsp. crumbled feta or goat cheese. Toss with Rhubarb Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Rhubarb Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

2 Tbsp. water

1 cup thin sliced rhubarb

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. lemon juice (+ optional pinch of zest)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Combine maple syrup and water in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rhubarb and simmer for 5-10 minutes until very soft. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk well to get creamy, then cool.

Whisk in the olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Add just a wee bit of water to thin if desired.

Note: if time is short, skip the roasted rhubarb. Salad is very good without it, as it still gets the tasty rhubarb zing from the vinaigrette.

Recipe created or adapted by Liz Talley, Urban Graze

#salad #recipe