A simple Chinese-style asparagus salad with tender mushrooms and eggs seasoned with minimal sauce to bring out the best flavor of the ingredients themselves. The salad is refreshing yet wonderfully flavorful, rich in nutrition, low in calories, and takes no time to get ready. {Gluten-Free, Vegetarian}
I first had this asparagus salad in a Yunnan restaurant back when I was in China. I was surprised by its great flavor (you can learn more about Yunnan food here). The crunchy texture of the asparagus, the earthy umami of the mushrooms, the tender mouthfeel of the noodles, and the rich flavor of the scrambled eggs – all come together to create a perfect combination. The flavor of the fresh ingredients is enhanced by a bit of soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. It tastes so good!
Ingredients for making asparagus salad
The ingredients for this asparagus salad is super simple:
- Shimeji mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Eggs
- Thin vermicelli noodles
- Soy sauce
- Salt
- Sesame oil
I used the white Shimeji mushrooms, but the brown ones work just as well.
Cooking process
- Cook (or soak) the vermicelli noodles
- Blanch the mushrooms
- Blanch the asparagus
- Drain and dry the vegetables
- Make scrambled eggs
- Mix everything with the seasonings
NOTE:
- Do not overcook the vegetables. The asparagus and the mushrooms usually take less than a minute to cook through. Once done, I like to run cold tap water over them immediately so they won’t be overcooked by the residual heat. I also gently dry them with paper towels so the salad won’t be watery.
- For the eggs, I prefer to lightly scramble them and keep the texture just cooked and very tender. But you can also cook the eggs with high heat and slightly brown them. It’s delicious either way.
The seasoning might look minimal, but trust me, you will be surprised at the great flavors once you try it out. The flavor of the ingredients compliment each other and create a great taste with just a bit of enhancement. It is a salad I enjoy a lot in the spring and summer.
More delicious recipes for the summer
Asparagus Salad with Mushroom and Eggs
A simple Chinese-style asparagus salad with tender mushrooms and eggs seasoned with minimal sauce to bring out the best flavor of the ingredients themselves. The salad is refreshing yet wonderfully flavorful, rich in nutrition, low in calories, and takes no time to get ready. {Gluten-Free, Vegetarian}
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 bundle (25 g) thin vermicelli
- 1 pack (150 g) Shimeji mushrooms , tough ends removed and separated
- 10 (200 g) asparagus spears , tough ends removed and chopped
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
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Prepare a bowl of tap water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
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(Optional) Add a few drops of oil and a pinch of salt to the pot, so the veggies will be greener after cooking.
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Add bean thread noodles to the pot and stir with chopsticks to separate them. Boil until the noodles are cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer the noodles to a plate and set aside.
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Add mushrooms to the same pot of water. Cook until mushrooms turn tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a colander to cool.
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Add asparagus to the same pot of water. Cook until the asparagus is cooked but still crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a colander with the mushrooms. Rinse with cold tap water to stop cooking. Add the bean thread noodles and toss everything together. Set aside to drain thoroughly. You can further remove excess moisture by gently patting the ingredients dry with paper towels.
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Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until warm. Add egg. Scramble the eggs until just cooked through. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
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Combine asparagus, mushroom, and bean thread noodles in the same large bowl with the eggs. Sprinkle salt and drizzle with light soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss to mix well. Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 80kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 5.8g, Fat: 3.2g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Sodium: 213mg, Potassium: 262mg, Fiber: 1.7g, Sugar: 2.1g, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 2mg
