Will we ever run out of ways to prepare asparagus? I have so many recipes for one of my favorite spring veggies and I never get tired of any of them. Maybe its because this vegetable is one of the first signs that spring is almost here. I’ve had this recipe in my file for years but don’t have a clue where I got it. I had a bad habit years ago of just clipping the recipe out of a newspaper or magazine without identifying it’s source. I regret that now because the origins are interesting and date the recipe. Oh well…this one has been around forever and its a winner.
The smoked salmon and asparagus are delicious together and lemon poppy seed dressing blends and accentuates the flavors of the the main ingredients. I prefer bow tie pasta for this salad but any shape works well as long as it holds the dressing.
Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pasta Salad
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 8 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salad Ingredients:
- 12 oz. bow tie pasta
- 1-1/2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch diagonal pieces
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 6 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Whisk dressing ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until just al dente. Add asparagus pieces and cook 2 minutes till crisp-tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta liquid. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer pasta and asparagus to a large bowl. Mix reserved cooking liquid into the dressing. Add to salad and toss to coat well. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least an hour before serving.
Sounds wonderful, looks delish!
Hi Cathy,
Been following your blog and reading it with interest. Pity some of the ingredients used in your recipes are not available here. Love this salad recipe. Makes a pretty picture too!
OH! This sounds SO wonderful! I could live on salads so this will definitely be dinner SOON! Thanks so much! Came over here from Gollum’s and am so glad I found you! Have a great evening! Pinky
ummm…sounds great…
I will try this! My mouth is watering, I wish I could just stick my fork into that picture! Deb
I am sure my hubby will love this so I copied the recipe. Thanks…Christine
Whoa! What a pretty salad!!
Just picked up some asparagus tonight! This is such a basic recipe you could add anything to it in lieu of salmon and would be delicious! Great post!!
Oh, this looks so good.
Salmon and asparagus are two of my absolute favorites and so good for you. Problem is my third favorite thing is dessert 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
Smoked salmon and asparagus – I can never tire of either. Thanks for the recipe, especially the poppy seen dressings. this one went right into my recipe file. Yum! Blessings, Barb
Nice springy look! Smoked salmon is the best on salads and asparagus is so versatile. This looks like a delicious combination.
Perfect spring salad combo and it looks so lovely!
Looks delish. My daughter’s favorite food is salmon and hubs loves asparagus. This is a definite keeper for us.
Hi All – Thanks so much for stopping by. This is one of my favorite pasta salads. Hope you enjoy it too.
Please drop by again.
I love the presentation. Gorgeous plate!
You had me at salmon and pasta!LOL
Anyway, it looks so good on that plate! But I don’t use poppy seed, so is there another dressing that goes good with that salad?
This looks fresh and delicious. I can’t wait to get into the kitchen and make this. Your plate is beautiful, too!
Hi Chandy – If you don’t care for poppy seeds just leave them out. The real flavor comes from the Dijon mustard and lemon. You might like the tarragon instead.
Thanks for much for visiting and for leaving a comment. I am very happy to meet you.
is asparagus out already? they’re my favorite thing about spring! I LOVE the lovely myriads of colors. So pretty and appetizing!
I am drooling – everything looks wonderful & I can't wait to try the poppyseed dressing. Thanks for sharing!
This has everything I love.I will definitely try it.Thank you…Ann
Mmm, what a pretty salad! And that lemon poppy seed dressing sounds divine… thank you for sharing!
This sounds delightful, Cathy. I love the sound of the tarragon and poppy seeds in it also – yum!
Gorgeous salad — looks fantastic, and the ingredients ensure it will taste that way also.
Ummm…lovely!
And I LOVE the name of your blog. Brilliant.
Cass
Mmmmm. sounds and looks fantastic. Not so hard to do either. We frequently have left over salmon when I bake those big slabs. A new idea. We just had creamed Asparagus. So good.
Hugs…Jeanne
Hi Cathy,
Your salad looks wonderful, so nice and fresh!
Thanks for the recipe, too..
You haven’t been to visit in a while!
What a beautiful pasta dish, Cathy! The hotel I stayed at the last 2 weeks had no pasta dishes on its room service menu – can you imagine?? And I come home and see your gorgeous dish. I’m hungry for pasta – and you’ve put my craving into overdrive!! 😀
I love smoked salmon… this dish looks so delicious!
Salmon and asparagus are two of my absolute favorites and so good for you. Problem is my third favorite thing is dessert
This looks fresh and delicious. I can’t wait to get into the kitchen and make this