As this week marks the end of the short asparagus season, I thought it only right to make the delicious vegetable the star of this week’s meat free Monday recipe.  And with all this glorious sunshine bringing the UK some much needed heat, I’d say we’ve stepped into salad season!

This salad is super quick to knock up and is jam packed with all the nutrients you need to add a summer spring to your step!

Ingredients

• 2 sprigs of seasonal asparagus
• Handful of purple sprouting broccoli (this is only really in season until May but I managed to get a hold of some late bloomer! Regular broccoli is a good alternative)
• 3-5 marinated sun-dried tomatoes cut into halves (take the lazy option with an antipasti jar…)
• A handful of pistachio nuts
• 1 tomato, cut into quarters
• 1 handful of fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon of hummus (home-made is easy and delicious, try this Hummus recipe)

Method

1. Cut the asparagus into 4 cm chunks and steam over a pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes. They should be warm but crunchy
2. Wash the spinach and layer in a bowl with the tomatoes, uncooked broccoli , sun-dried tomatoes and pistachios.
3. Add the asparagus and a big dollop of hummus. A nice sprinkle of toasted seeds or ground flax adds a nice touch too.
4. You shouldn’t need any dressing as the marinated sun-dried tomatoes and hummus add all the flavour, and the really complement the asparagus. Enjoy!