This asparagus, strawberry and lentil pasta salad with toasted walnuts is a refreshing, yet satisfying dish for those warmer days in spring. It’s easy, requires minimal ingredients and would also be great to take to Picknicks and enjoy your meal in the sun!
As child I would never really like asparagus. I loved the charred ones you find in stores, but the fresh asparagus my mum cooked…not really my favorite. Neither the white nor the green kind. Though I thought the green was the “less boring” one.
But it’s so interesting to see how taste buds can change, because now I am so excited every year for asparagus being back in season. The only thing that hasn’t changed is me still preferring the green stems.
Anyways, most likely with the arrival of asparagus, all the local berries slowly fill the supermarket shelves again and the days become warmer. Which makes me crave more refreshing meals. Pasta salad is a great way to have an actual, filling meal and ideal to prepare ahead and enjoy outside!
Lets get started!
Making this strawberry, asparagus, lentil and toasted walnut pasta salad is really easy! All cooking you need to do is boil the pasta, add the asparagus for the last few minutes and then drain alongside the lentils. Meanwhile you roast the walnuts. The rest consists of chopping the strawberries and mixing together a quick dressing from balsamic vinegar, mustard, dried oregano, garlic and onion powder and a bit of olive oil.
You can use basically any pasta you like. Actually, I have also tried this salad with quinoa and it was just as good! Even though it is not pictured, I would also highly recomend addig some(vegan) Feta for some creamy texture and even more flavor.
Oh, and before we head over to the recipe, there is one more thing I want to point out. I am no nutritionist, but I love educating myself what amazing benefits come from all different kinds of food. And in that concern, I am particularly happy that this pasta salad happens to be:
- a good way to boost your daily omega 3s due to the walnuts. They contain a high amount of ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid that is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Plus they showed various benefits on cognition and brain health in studies.
- a good source of iron. Lentils provide us with around 8mg per 100g (cooked). However, to optimize your iron absorption, you should ideally consume it with a source of Vitamin C. Strawberries happen to be high in Vitamin C!
And now, get your bowls set, because this dish will be ready to enjoy in no time!
ALL THE BEST
Strawberry, asparagus, lentil and toasted walnut pasta salad
Ingredients
- 2 servings of pasta (like whole-grain, gluten-free,etc.)
- 1/2 bunch of asparagus around 200-250g
- 1 large handful of strawberries around 120g
- 1 tin brown lentils drained
- 1 large handful of arugula
- 1 good handful of walnuts around 40g
dressing
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tsp onion powder
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- olive oil
- salt to taste
- (vegan) feta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C. Spread out walnuts onto a baking tray and toast for around 15 minutes until golden. Alternatively, you could dry roast them in a pan for a few minutes.
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Add the asparagus for the last 3ish minutes, so they are cooked but still have a bit more bite to them. Drain everything and rinse under cold water. Drain and rinse lentils too.
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar until well combined: balsamic vinegar, mustard, spices and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add the asparagus, pasta and lentils together with the sliced strawberrries and arugula to a mixing bowl. If using (vegan) feta, cut it into cubes and add to the bowl as well.
- Toss everything in the prepared dressing and season with salt as needed. Divide between bowls, sprinkle the walnuts on top and enjoy! (keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days!)
Notes
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