Preparation Wash the asparagus. Peel only the lower ends of the asparagus and then cut into pieces about 3 cm in size. Peel the garlic and press it or chop it finely. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into quarters. Squeeze the lemon.
It is best to use thinner asparagus spears for this dish. You can use green, white or purple asparagus. Green asparagus is more natural and contains more vitamins and healthy phytochemicals than white and purple asparagus, which is why we recommend it for health reasons.
Preparation of asparagus salad Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan. Add the asparagus and fry for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Then add the garlic and a little salt and fry for another 3-5 minutes until the asparagus is half cooked and takes on some color. It should no longer be completely raw, but still noticeably firm.
Meanwhile, proceed to step 3.
For the dressing In a bowl, mix the lemon juice (optionally add some white balsamic vinegar) and agave syrup with a little salt and pepper.
finishing and serving Turn off the stove and add the tomatoes to the asparagus. Pour everything into the bowl with the dressing and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar. Serve while still lukewarm.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
For this lukewarm asparagus salad with cherry tomatoes, fry the asparagus briefly so that it remains half raw.
Portion information: The quantity for 2 portions is sufficient for 2 people as a light main course or as a side dish for 3-4 people.
Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this recipe covers more than 100% of the average daily requirement of vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting and bone metabolism. Folic acid, which is important for cell renewal, is covered by 75%. The essential trace elements copper, iron and vitamin C are covered by 40-50%. In addition, this asparagus salad contains a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ( 3:1), which complies with the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1. Read more at: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors.
Asparagus: The local asparagus season for white asparagus lasts from mid-April to traditionally June 24th. Among other things, asparagus contains the protein building block asparagine, which gave asparagus its name. L-aspartic acid is responsible for its dehydrating effect, promotes kidney function and stimulates water excretion. For this reason, asparagus is used in traditional medicine for bladder infections. In addition to the white asparagus preferred here, there are also purple and green asparagus, which have a more intense flavor. The color of the asparagus is determined by the time of harvest: while white asparagus grows underground in mounds of earth, protected from the sun, purple asparagus is harvested as soon as it has broken through the surface of the earth. Green asparagus grows mostly above ground. Purple and especially green asparagus contain more vitamins and healthy secondary plant substances than white asparagus.
Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are smaller, crisper and sweeter than regular tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes can be red, green, yellow or black.
Tips
Asparagus and gout: Asparagus contains purines. Anyone suffering from gout or kidney disease should be cautious or moderate when eating asparagus.
Purple asparagus: The purple color is caused by sunlight, as the stalks are not picked straight away and are therefore exposed to sunlight for about one more day. This leads to, among other things, an increased formation of anthocyanins, water-soluble plant pigments. Purple asparagus tastes a little spicier due to these natural pigments.
Green asparagus: In contrast to purple and especially white asparagus, green asparagus grows largely above ground. Green asparagus contains more vitamins and healthy secondary plant substances than white and purple asparagus. Purple or white asparagus also needs to be peeled more thoroughly than green asparagus, which only needs to be peeled at the bottom ends. The cooking time is sometimes a little longer.
