A delicious salad made from boiled potatoes and asparagus, mixed with toasted pine nuts, red onion, basil pesto, shaved parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes and rocket.
Asparagus season runs from October to December in New Zealand and what a time to celebrate this wonderful vegetable. This new recipe for Pesto, Potato and Asparagus Salad combines a herby potato salad with fresh asparagus in a flavoursome basil pesto dressing. I've taken this salad to many a potluck dinner and it gets devoured everytime.
For another great asparagus option, be sure to check out my Asparagus and Bacon Salad on the website.
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Ingredient notes:
- Basil Pesto: This is the dressing for the salad so you can't really leave this ingredient out!
- New potatoes: If you can't find new potatoes, use a waxy variety of potato and chop them into pieces about 3cm thick.
- Asparagus: One of the three main ingredients, it's pretty important to use fresh asparagus for this salad.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and simmer on the stovetop for 20 minutes. Add the eggs to the pot with the potatoes ensuring they are submerged. Simmer everything for a further 9 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl of cold water.
By this point the potatoes should also be cooked and tender. Drain the potatoes and cool under a cold tap. Snap the ends off the asparagus and slice into 3 pieces on an angle. Place in a small saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes till tender. Drain and place in cold water.
Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat ensuring you watch them so they don't burn. Once toasted, set a tablespoon aside to garnish.
In a large bowl, add the potatoes, asparagus, red onion, pine nuts (minus the garnish), sun dried tomatoes, basil pesto, parmesan and rocket. Stir well until combined and place on a large serving dish.
Peel the boiled eggs and cut into quarters. Lay the eggs on top of the salad and sprinkle with the reserved pine nuts.
Recipe FAQs:
You want your potatoes to be 'bite size', about 3cm thick is great. If you have some big ones in the mix you can chop them in half. The thicker they are the longer you will need to boil them until they get tender.
Yes, I suggest leaving the rocket separate and storing the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. Stir through the rocket salad just before serving so it stays fresh.
Storage:
Store any leftover pesto, potato and asparagus salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Top tips:
Roll the boiled eggs on their sides to crush the shell around the middle before peeling, and peel before completely cool to make it an easier job.
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*DISCLAIMER*
If you are coeliac, or cooking for someone who is, please ensure you make the necessary substitutions to ensure this recipe meets your dietary requirements. Be sure to check the labels on all your processed food, including sauce bottles, to make sure they are gluten free.
Pesto, Potato and Asparagus Salad
A delicious, fresh salad made from boiled potatoes and asparagus mixed with toasted pine nuts, red onion, basil pesto, shaved parmesan and rocket.
Ingredients
- 700g small new potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 70g pine nuts
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced
- 100g basil pesto
- 70g shaved parmesan
- 45g rocket
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and simmer on the stovetop for 20 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the pot with the potatoes ensuring they are submerged. Simmer everything for a further 9 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl of cold water.
- By this point the potatoes should also be cooked and tender. Drain the potatoes and cool under a cold tap.
- Snap the ends off the asparagus and slice into 3 pieces on an angle. Place in a small saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes till tender. Drain and place in cold water.
- Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat ensuring you watch them so they don’t burn. Once toasted, set a tablespoon aside to garnish.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, add the potatoes, asparagus, red onion, pine nuts (minus the garnish), sun dried tomatoes, basil pesto, parmesan and rocket. Stir well until combined and place on a large serving dish.
- Peel the boiled eggs and cut into quarters. Lay the eggs on top of the salad and sprinkle with the reserved pine nuts.
Notes
- Roll the boiled eggs on the sides to crush the shell around the middle before peeling, and peel before completely cool to make it an easier job.
* If you are coeliac or cooking for someone who is, please ensure you make the necessary substitutions to ensure these recipes meet your dietary requirements. As always, be sure to check the labels on all your processed food including sauce bottles to make sure they are gluten free.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 226mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
MeganF says
What a delicious salad. It will be a staple for us as the BBQ weather becomes more frequent.
VJ cooks says
Yes! Such an easy one to make over the summer when asparagus are plentiful 🙂