In this recipe for a tasty appetizer dish or first course, marinated artichoke hearts and mushrooms mingle with fresh asparagus and herbs. Lemon juice and half-sour pickles add just the right bright, mild tartness.
Serving idea: Keep some cocktail toothpicks nearby, and serve with sliced fresh baguette and sliced vegan cheese or spread. Add some clusters of seedless red grapes. Add red or white wine, or a favorite mocktail and you’ve got an appetizer that’s a lovely and light introduction to almost any kind of meal, nearly any time of year.
This recipe makes 6 to 8 appetizer-size servings.
A FEW ASPARAGUS TIPS (pardon the pun)
- Slender asparagus is often seen in spring, but too slender isn’t a good thing. You want stalks that are succulent, or you’ll just be getting lots of skin and little flavor.
- Choose bundles of asparagus with firm spears; the tips should be closed, plump and green.
- Avoid asparagus with withered tips and/or bottoms that look very woody and pale — a sure sign that it’s past its peak.
STORING ASAPARAGUS
- If you won’t be using your asparagus right away (though you should use it within a day or two of buying), wrap the ends of the stalks with a damp paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
- You can also stand asparagus spears upright in a glass filled with 2 to 3 inches of cool water. That’s even better!
WHEN YOU’RE READY TO USE IT
- Wash the asparagus stalks, then cut about an inch off the stem ends.
- If the skin looks tough toward the stem end, peel about half of the stalks toward the stem end with a vegetable peeler. This isn’t a lot of fun to do, but your finished dish will be that much better for it!
Ingredients for this recipe
- Asparagus, fresh (8 ounces)
- Marinated quartered artichoke hearts (12-ounce jar)
- Small button mushrooms (12-ounce can or two 6-ounce cans)
- Zucchini, 1 small
- Half-sour dill pickle (1 large or 2 medium)
- Dill, fresh (from a small bunch)
- Parsley, fresh (from a small bunch)
- Vegan mayonnaise
- Lemon (1 fresh, or from bottled juice)
Recipe is adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.
Explore more …
- Easy Cold & Hot Vegan Appetizers
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Marinated Artichoke Hearts with Mushrooms & Asparagus
In this recipe for a tasty appetizer dish or first course, marinated artichoke hearts and mushrooms mingle with fresh asparagus and herbs.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh asparagus, bottoms trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch sections
- 12-ounce jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 12-ounce can (or two 6-ounce cans) small button mushrooms, well drained
- 1 small zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 large or 2 medium half-sour dill pickles, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, or more, to taste
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- Juice of 1/2 lemon or more, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the bottoms of the asparagus stalks, then cut the stalks into l-inch pieces. In a medium skillet, with just enough water to keep the bottom moist, steam the asparagus just until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Combine the asparagus with the remaining ingredients. Stir together. Taste to adjust lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Serve at once as suggested in note below. This can be made a day or a few hours ahead of when it’s needed. Refrigerated (well covered) until ready to serve.
Notes
Serving idea: Keep some cocktail toothpicks nearby, and serve with sliced fresh baguette (preferably whole grain), sliced vegan cheese or spread, and clusters of seedless red grapes. See instructions on making a vegan cheese ball or log above the recipe box. Add red or white wine, as you prefer.
Here are lots more tasty vegan appetizers and snacks.
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