This lovely salad has everything to make it super addictive: grilled green asparagus spears, zingy raspberries and crispy fried cheese croutons! For the cheese, I’m using brie, but you could use camembert instead. It’s coated in breadcrumbs and then pan-fried, to make it crispy all over. To bring it all together I’m making a raspberry vinaigrette, blitzing a handful of raspberries into the dressing to make it super yummy!
100g small green asparagus
20g pine nuts
150g brie cheese
1 egg
20g breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for frying
125g mixed salad leaves
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
50g raspberries
For the vinaigrette:
50g raspberries
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
salt and pepper
Serves 2 – Prep: 30 minutes
Put the asparagus a bowl and toss with a bit of olive oil. Heat a griddle pan and grill the asparagus for 5 minutes (or longer, depending on thickness), turning them regularly so that they get lightly charred on all sides and they are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Roast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and set aside.
Put all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small food processor and whizz into a dressing. Set aside.
Cut the brie into 8 wedges. Crack the egg into a deep plate and whisk with a fork. Put the breadcrumbs into a second plate and season with salt and pepper.
Dip each brie wedge into the egg, then toss in the breadcrumbs so they are evenly coated.
Cover the bottom of a frying pan generously with vegetable oil. Put the pan over a medium heat and, once the oil is hot, fry the brie wedges approximately 1 minute on each side until browned all over. Take out of the pan and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Put the salad leaves in a salad bowl, add the basil and vinaigrette and toss so the salad is evenly covered in vinaigrette. Divide the salad between 2 plates, top with grilled asparagus and fried brie wedges, then sprinkle over the pine nuts and raspberries. Serve immediately.
