Potato & Asparagus Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette
Author: 
Recipe type: Side, Salad
Cuisine: American, Spring
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
This potato salad is great as a side dish with grilled meat or fish. If you want it to be the main event, slices hard-cooked eggs and/or oil-packed tuna are nice additions.
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch Asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut in 1½ in. lengths
  • 1½# Fingerling Potatoes (if any are significantly larger than the other, cut them in half)
  • 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
  • about ½ c. Italian Parsley LeavesFor the Olive Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ c. minced Kalamata Olives
  • 3 Anchovy Fillets, minced into a fine paste (or you could use a squirt of anchovy paste)
  • 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a medium bowl.
  2. Drop the asparagus into the boiling and cook until it becomes bright green and is crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of your spears. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the ice bath to stop the cooking. When the asparagus has thoroughly cooled, drain, and pat dry with a towel.
  3. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil until tender when poked with a knife, 10-15 minutes (again this will vary with the size of your potatoes). Drain.
  4. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette to make a thick, chunky purply-black dressing. Season with freshly ground black pepper (between the olives and the anchovies, there should already be plenty of salt).
  5. Put the warm potatoes in a large bowl and toss with half of the olive vinaigrette. Add the asparagus and sliced shallot and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Finally, add the parsley leaves and gently toss, once more. The salad is best served immediately while the potatoes are still a little warm. If you prepare it ahead, be sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe by strawberryplum at http://www.strawberryplum.com/potato-asparagus-salad-with-black-olive-vinaigrette/