This light and lively salad is perfect for a warm evening. You could serve it as an appetizer salad, but I'm showing it here as a main course (as we recently enjoyed it). The fresh crab is definitely a splurge; you could certainly substitute shrimp or scallops. And the fresh, local asparagus... cooked under the broiler until lightly brown... the direct heat brings out all of its natural sweetness. Rounding the salad out is a bit of tang from fresh orange segments and a citrus dressing.
You can go directly to the printable recipe or I'll show you how to make this salad step-by-step...
The ingredients include some Asian flavors...ginger and sesame. Because we are going to broil the asparagus, it's best to get thicker spears that will hold up to the high heat without become mushy. Shown are ingredients for 2 entree-sized servings.
Start by removing about 1 teaspoon of zest from an orange. I did this using one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, the rasp grater.
Next we're going to juice 2 oranges, enough to yield 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice (I'm a bit over that here, but that's OK).
Pour the fresh orange juice into a small saucepan.
Over high heat, reduce the orange juice...
...until it measures about 1 tablespoon. Transfer to the bowl with the orange zest.
Cut off about a 1" piece of ginger [1]. With a knife, peel the outer skin [2] [3]. Cut into thin coins [4].
Finely mince the ginger...
You should have about 1 teaspoon of minced ginger; add this the bowl with the orange zest and juice.
Add 2 tablespoons plain (not seasoned) rice vinegar...
...1 teaspoon of honey...
...and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.
Whisk to combine.
With the remaining orange, strip away the peel with a knife, until it is "naked" [4].
For orange segments, cut in between each membrane [1] and remove the segment [2]. The finished segments should have all membranes removed [3].
Next, we're going to broil 1 pound of fresh asparagus. Move the top oven rack to about 4" below the broiler. Preheat the broiler on HI.
Prep 1 pound of asparagus by snapping the ends off [1] and trimming [2]. Wash thoroughly to remove any grit [3] and drain [4].
Dry the asparagus with a clean kitchen towel.
Brush the asparagus with some canola oil...
...and season generously with salt and pepper.
Broil the asparagus under the prepared preheated broiler, shaking the pan about halfway through, until the asparagus is lightly browned and tender, about 8 minutes.
Cut the broiled asparagus into 2" pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the prepared orange segments...
...and 2 cups of baby arugula (baby spinach works fine here too, but I like the little bit of bite that arugula provides).
Add 8 ounces of fresh crab meat...
...and the prepared orange dressing.
Toss all the ingredients together to combine thoroughly...
...and serve!
Crab, Asparagus, and Orange Salad
Serves 2 as a entree.
1 teaspoon finely-grated orange zest
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons plain (unseasoned) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 orange, cut into segments
1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed
Canola oil
Salt & pepper
2 cups washed baby arugula or spinach
8 ounces fresh crabmeat
For dressing, combine first 5 ingredients. Reduce the orange juice in a small saucepan until it measures about 1 tablespoon. Add to other dressing ingredients and set aside.
Move the top oven rack to about 4" below the broiler. Preheat the broiler on Hi. Spread the prepared asparagus on a sheet pan and brush with canola oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Broil the asparagus under the preheated broiler, shaking the pan about halfway through, until the asparagus is lightly browned and tender, about 8 minutes. Cool the asparagus and cut into 2" lengths.
In a large bowl, combine the prepared asparagus, orange segments, arugula and crabmeat. Toss with the dressing and serve.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! To view more step-by-step recipes, see the complete recipe index.
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Looks very tasty, I love the step by step photos.
Posted by: Laylita | June 18, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Heidi, I took this to a barbecue last night and it made a big hit!
Posted by: mark | June 23, 2008 at 08:41 PM