- 12 thin asparagus spears, peeled if they are woody at the base
- Kosher salt
- 1 to 1¼ cups haricots verts or slender green beans
- 2 bunches of arugula (about 4 cups of leaves with 1 inch of stem)
- 1 large bulb fennel, with any discolored outer pieces removed, cored and very thinly sliced
- ¼ medium head red cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons blanched and julienne Lemon Confit or 2 tablespoons julienne fresh lemon zest
- ½ cup Lemon Vinaigrette (below)
- 4 ounces pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese, very thinly sliced
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra, if needed
- Juice of 4 medium lemons (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup olive oil, plus extra, if needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
- In a medium bowl, whisk ¼ teaspoon salt with the lemon juice until dissolved. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Taste, and season with pepper and a little more salt, if needed. Add more lemon juice if the dressing tastes too flat. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
- Blanch the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, and shock in a bowl of ice water. Remove it by grasping the stems, rather than the tips, with tongs.
- Repeat the blanching, shocking, and draining for the haricots verts, using a colander to drain.
- In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus, haricots verts, arugula, fennel, and cabbage with the lemon confit and enough lemon vinaigrette to dress lightly. Season to taste with salt.
- To serve, divide the salad among chilled plates and top with the sliced cheese. Grind a little coarse black pepper over each salad.
- Variations:
- For a main-course salad, top each serving with a portion of sautéed or grilled fish or chicken.
- If you don’t want to use both asparagus and beans, use a double quantity of either one. Or add some zucchini or shredded carrots. The amounts and vegetables are very flexible.