This warm potato, asparagus and pea salad is a fresh and flavourful spring recipe from the elven realm of Lothlórien. Just like our garden herb pikelets, this warm potato salad is a celebration of the produce, herbs and flavours of spring in the Golden Wood!
At a Glance: Warm Potato, Asparagus, and pea Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Roasting Time: 35-40 minutes
- Total Time: ~55 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Flavour: Sweet and tangy with herbal notes
- Skill Level: Easy
- Why this Works: This warm roasted potato salad inspired by the Elven gardens of Lothlórien is a celebration of the bounty of spring produce.
A Feast in Lothlórien – The Golden Wood
Travel east over the Misty Mountains and enter the golden woods of Lothlórien for an enchanting elven feast. With hair as golden as the flowers of the Mallorn trees that adorn her realm, Galadriel rules over Lothlórien with her husband Celeborn. Aided by the power of Nenya, one of the three elvish rings of power, the woodland realm is kept beautiful and pure, free from evil and where the trees themselves do not die. Gather beneath the golden boughs of the Mallorn trees for an enchanting elven feast worthy of the woodland realm of Lothlórien – the heart of elvendom on Earth.
A Warm Spring Salad
With roasted baby potatoes and tender green vegetables, this warm spring salad is a celebration of the bounty of spring produce plucked from the gardens of Lórien. Baby potatoes are roasted until golden brown before tossing with the vegetables. Fresh asparagus, snap peas, and green peas are blanched until crisp tender and then chilled to preserve their colour and crunch. The vegetables are tossed with the warm potatoes just before serving for a delightful contrast in temperature and texture. The salad is tossed with a sweet and tangy honey Dijon vinaigrette and fragrant fresh dill. This warm potato, asparagus, and pea salad is the perfect side dish for our honey lavender roast chicken or golden tomato zucchini galette.
Ingredients for Warm Potato, ASparagus, and Pea Salad
Baby potatoes: If new potatoes are in season, then be sure to use them. Otherwise, baby potatoes are readily available year round. The potatoes are tossed with the vegetables and vinaigrette while warm which ensures they soak up all that delicious sweet and tangy dressing. For another warm potato salad, check out our crispy smashed potatoes and radishes with bacon vinaigrette.
Asparagus: Tender asparagus shoots are the quintessential spring vegetable. Be sure to remove the tough ends of the stalk by snapping them off where they naturally break.
Peas: I like to use a blend of snap peas and shelled peas for this recipe. Lightly blanched, the snap pea pods add a pleasant crunch and sweetness to the salad. The freshness of both the pea pods and peas are perfect for a spring time medley, such as in our lemon chamomile roast chicken with spring vegetables.
Fresh dill: Try to use fresh dill if possible, it really adds to the overall flavour of the dish. If you don’t have fresh, you can substitute with dried in the honey dill vinaigrette. Honey and dill are a great flavour pairing with vegetables, such as in our roasted beets with honey dill vinaigrette.
How to Make Warm Potato, Asparagus, and Pea Salad
1). Roast the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Toss to coat and then spread out on the baking sheet. Roast the potatoes for 35 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and browned, stirring once or twice while roasting to encourage even browning.
2). Prep the vegetables
To prep the asparagus, snap off the tough ends and discard. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Remove the strings from the snap peas if desired. Use a pairing knife to cut into the stem tip of the pea and pull down to remove the string.
3). Blanch the vegetables
Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Generously season the water with kosher salt. Fill a large bowl with ice water and keep nearby. Have a baking tray ready with tea towels or paper towels to drain. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp tender. Do not overcook. Use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus and immediately plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking.
Bring the water back up to a boil. Next, add the snap peas to the boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp tender. Remove the asparagus from the ice water and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. When tender, remove the snap peas with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the ice water to stoop the cooking. Repeat the process with the green peas. Transfer both the snap peas and green peas to the prepared baking sheet to drain. Set aside.
4). Make the vinaigrette
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and pepper. Whisk together. Slowly add the light olive oil, whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the dressing comes together and is fully emulsified. Stir in the fresh dill.
5). Serve the Warm Potato, Asparagus, and Pea Salad
When the potatoes are done, take out of the oven but leave them on the baking sheet. Add the blanched vegetables to the baking sheet with the warm potatoes. Drizzle with most of the vinaigrette and gently toss to coat. Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish and top with the remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with more chopped fresh dill and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Make ahead tips
- The asparagus, snap peas, and green peas can all be blanched and chilled several hours ahead of time. Bring to room temperature before tossing with the warm potatoes for best results.
- The vinaigrette can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. The oil may separate after sitting, this is normal, just whisk before serving.
