Asparagus and Orange Salad with Avocado

Asparagus is one of those vegetables that tells you the season has turned. Its thick stalks are the first real green of spring, and in many home kitchens the first bunch of the year gets eaten almost before it reaches the cutting board. This salad is my way of stretching that early harvest into something you can eat for a whole lunch. The asparagus is simmered until just tender, then cooled quickly in ice water so it keeps a bright green color and a little bite. That cold plunge matters more than it seems. Skip it and the spears go dull and soft while they sit.

A fun fact about asparagus: the stalks are mostly water, which is why they cook so quickly and why they can turn limp in a warm room. Buying them with tight, closed tips and firm stems is the best way to get a salad that still snaps. If the ends feel woody, snap them off where they bend naturally. You will be surprised how little you need to trim.

The orange and tomato do a lot of the work here. Orange segments bring juice and a little sweetness, and beefsteak tomato adds a meaty bite that holds up next to the avocado. Cut the avocado right before you toss everything together so it stays creamy and doesn't brown. The dressing is simple olive oil and red wine vinegar with salt and pepper, and it is enough. You want the leaves lightly coated, not swimming. Spoon the orange mixture over the romaine rather than tossing the whole thing in one bowl, so every serving keeps some crunch.

For leftovers, keep the dressed orange mixture separate from the lettuce in a covered container. It will hold for a day in the fridge, though the avocado will soften. The asparagus on its own keeps well for two or three days, and it is lovely cold, chopped into an omelet or stirred into rice the next day.

This salad works as a light lunch on its own, but it also sits nicely beside something more substantial. If you want a dinner plate, try it alongside Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Spring Vegetables, where the bitter greens and citrus cut through the richness of the meat. For a lighter weeknight pairing, Oven Baked Dill Salmon with Asparagus gives you a second asparagus dish with a different flavor, and the citrus here plays well with the fish.