How to turn tough asparagus ends and herb stalks into a vibrant salad dressing

Tom Hunt
<span>Tom Hunt’s green goddess salad.</span><span>Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian</span>
Tom Hunt’s green goddess salad.Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian

Today’s recipe is a whole plant-based take on the Instagram-viral green goddess salad (I’ve even posted a video about it on my Instagram feed). It’s vibrant, dazzling green, nourishing and remarkably flavourful, while the dressing incorporates the tough ends of asparagus, herb stalks and aquafaba to minimise waste altogether.

Green goddess salad

Instead of using the egg yolks in the original California-style dressing, I’ve thickened it with aquafaba to make it velvety-smooth. Miso adds umami, while olive oil adds even more flavour and nutritional value, including omega 3, 6 and 9. The dressing works without the miso and olive oil, too, while other ingredients you could add include nutritional yeast, seaweed and/or vegan Worcestershire sauce. To make this a vibrant and satiating meal without the need for hardly any cooking, I’ve included a variety of delicious plants, including beans, asparagus, heaps of fresh, crunchy green vegetables and pumpkin seeds.

Serves 4 as a main course

For the dressing
1 bunch asparagus
4 tbsp aquafaba (reserved from cooking the beans for the salad or from a tin of drained beans)
1 tbsp white miso (optional)
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp capers, plus 1 tbsp of their brine
50g mixed herbs (flat-leaf parsley, chives, tarragon), leaves and stalks
200-250ml extra virgin olive oil

For the salad
300g leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale), stalks finely chopped, leaves shredded
400g tin white beans (haricot, butter, cannellini), drained and aquafaba reserved
600g green fruit and vegetables (courgette, pear, fennel), finely sliced on a mandoline or peeled into ribbons
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, to finish
Sprouted beans, to finish (optional)

Cut the tough ends off the asparagus spears, then slice the ends into fine, 5mm-thick discs. Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil, add the sliced ends and the whole spears, simmer for four minutes, then drain and separate the ends and spears.

Put 50g of the drained asparagus ends in a food processor and add the white miso, if using, aquafaba, garlic clove, mustard, vinegar, capers and their brine and the mixed herbs, including the finely chopped stalks. Blitz smooth, then, with the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feeder tube and blend until the mixture is as thick as cream.

Put any remaining asparagus ends in a large bowl and add the leafy greens, drained white beans and the green fruit and vegetables. Drizzle over a generous amount of the dressing and toss to coat.

Top with the cooked asparagus spears, pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of optional sprouted beans, finish with a generous drizzle of extra dressing and serve at once.

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