Hazelnut Vegetable Salad

Name: Hazelnut Vegetable Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 teaspoons cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons honey; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper; 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms; 1/2 medium sweet red pepper, julienned; 2 celery ribs, julienned; 3 tablespoons minced chives; 4 lettuce leaves; 8 asparagus spears, cooked and drained; 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

A tart lemon-pepper dressing accents this colorful vegetable combination. Mom doesn’t always add the asparagus spears, but I think the steamed stalks make it twice as good.—Emma Rea, Columbia, South Carolina

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
2 celery ribs, julienned
3 tablespoons minced chives
4 lettuce leaves
8 asparagus spears, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

Directions

For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the first six ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, red pepper, celery and chives. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.
Place lettuce on salad plates; top with asparagus and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 186 calories, 16g fat (2g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 172mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 fat, 2 vegetable.

Originally published as Mushroom and Hazelnut Salad in Taste of Home August/September 2006