Vegan Asparagus Salad for Spring with Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm, and Chives

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus spears, ends snapped off and cut into diagonal slices
• 1 1/2 cups sliced heart of palm
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup sliced chives or green onion
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Take about 8 oz. hearts of palm out of the jar and set them in a colander so they can drain.
2. Fill a medium pot with water, salt it generously with slightly less than a teaspoon of salt, and bring it to a boil.
3. Bend one piece of asparagus until it breaks to find the tough end, then use that as your guide to trim the rest to the same length.
4. Slice the asparagus on a diagonal into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long. You should end up with about 2 cups, or a bit more.
5. Once the water is boiling, drop in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, but don’t let it go longer. A timer is your friend here.
6. Pour the asparagus into a colander to drain.
7. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and Dijon. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, adding it gradually, until the dressing comes together.
8. After the asparagus has drained, transfer it to a bowl big enough for the whole salad and add about 2 tablespoons of the dressing.
9. Toss the asparagus with the dressing so it is coated, then leave it to marinate while you get the remaining ingredients ready.
10. Cut the hearts of palm into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Separate the rounds into rings, or cut them in half if they don’t come apart easily.
11. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the chives, or green onions.
12. Add the hearts of palm and tomatoes to the bowl with the asparagus, mixing gently, then drizzle in enough dressing to lightly coat everything. You may not use every bit of the dressing.
13. Fold in the chives gently, then season the salad with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Go easy with the salt, since the asparagus was cooked in salted water. Serve right away, and make only what you plan to eat at one meal, because it does not hold especially well in the refrigerator.