When I eat too much salt, my face looks like the marshmallow man, I get puffy eye bags and my abs look and feel pudgy. Do you ever feel the same way after eating something too salty or eating out at a restaurant? (Restaurants almost always put too much salt in their food!) Well if you haven’t felt that way before, you are either super lucky or may be just eating too much salt to actually notice how you feel or look. In either case, there is one surefire way to get you feeling and looking your best – and that’s to eat vegetables that have magical powers. Magic that is loaded with potassium and very low in sodium which creates the perfect electrolyte balance in your body… helping you shed the extra water weight and de-puffing your body from the inside out. There’s nothing worse in the world than a meal leaving you with a bubble gut. 
Along with dandelion greens, asparagus is one of the best bloat fighters out there, but I have to admit it is a really boring vegetable. I’ve always just eaten asparagus raw or grilled asparagus with coconut oil and a little sea salt and pepper. Of course that’s a delicious way to eat it but it is really kind of plain. And I hate hollandaise sauce – don’t even get me started on that. My preconceptions about asparagus changed dramatically when I was ironically dining out in New York City at ABC Cocina (now one of my new favorite restaurants). I had the most fabulous asparagus EVER. So good that I took each bite of it slowly so I could remember the flavors. After tasting the dish, I said to myself and my dinner companion “I am recreating this when I get home!” – so that’s what I did and boy did I turn boring old asparagus into something dynamite! Now I have no idea if I made this exactly like the restaurant (I’m guessing not), but I do know that I made something delicious – so delicious that is it was worth eating a whole salad made out of asparagus as a main course. This recipe can also be used as a side dish – but you might not want to share any after you take a bite, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- 2 bunches asparagus (steamed or grilled, your choice)
- ¼ cup manchego (hard sheep's milk cheese) shredded finely
- ⅓ cup raw hazelnuts
- For Dressing:
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ lemon zested
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- a pinch of sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- While steaming or grilling asparagus, toast hazelnuts in dry pan on medium low for 10 mins, remove from heat and chop toasted hazelnuts
- Chop steamed or grilled asparagus into 2 inch pieces
- Make dressing by whisking together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, honey, sea salt and black pepper
- Combine all dressing with asparagus and mix well
- Top dressed asparagus with shredded manchego and chopped hazelnuts.
What’s your favorite way to debloat? Please share your tips with me and others in the comments below – we all can use a little less bubble gut in our lives. 🙂
Bon Appétit!
Food Babe
Love that you’re serious about food, but not too serious about life! Laughter is so good for us and your sense of humor is apparent. Keep it up! p.s. the salad sounds delish!
Where on earth do you find manchego? Never heard of it!
You can use any semi-soft cheese that has a mild flavor. Machego is a fairly expensive Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk that will run you 25 to 30 dollars a pound. So if you want a similar cheese I’d try Asiago, a mild Italian cheese, or Pecorino Romano.
Unless you live in Mexico and they come to your door with the milk products 😉
Manchego is a cheese from Spain, hence the term Spanish cheese, not Mexican cheese….
@tazcj Stupid!!! Manchego is not MEXICAN cheese….jajajaaa U probably only now 1 kind of cheese. If you go to your grocery store (most US stores) where they have fresh ham and cheese you can ask for Manchego cheese and they will have it, if not found packaged already.
@Vianeyy. Tazcj said they sell it at your door in Mexico. Not that it was Mexican cheese. How rude to call someone stupid and clearly be mistaken about what was said….
Manchego is carried at Trader Joe’s (which I know Food Babe dislikes).
Yeah, we’re not in Spain either and we’re talking about getting Manchego so why would you think they can’t get it in Mexico? Jaja. Silly people. They don’t live on crunch tacos and cheddar cheese there, you know.
Pecorino Romano has a high vitamin K content, also.
I wonder, though, if her point was in avoiding cow’s milk dairy. I’ve never heard of it, either. I will have to look!
Manchego can be found in most bigger grocery stores (and Trader Joe’s) and it is so delicious!
I think Manchego might be recommended due to the sodium content, which is lower than a lot of other cheeses (140 mg of sodium in Manchego compared to 340 mg in Romano, for example). And while I’ve never tasted Manchego, I’m sure it has its own unique flavor, as well. 🙂
I recently bought some at the Earth Fare store in Greenville, SC, but any place with a good cheese department might have it.
Costco always has manchego for approx. $8-12 per pound, can’t remember the exact price.
I’m not sure where you are in the world, but here in Southern California, I buy it at Costco and Whole Foods. Whole Foods has several brands, just ask the cheese monger and they will help you find it.
Manchego makes everything better! Very dicentra manchego at Latienda.com
Go to trader joes or costco. They both have it
Manchego cheese is found at Sam’s club or whole food’s it’s delicious!
Costco has Manchego it is a basque cheese from spain
I love just a little lemon juice on steamed asparagus, it’s perfect. When I have more time to cook, I like to “shave” the raw asparagus with a peeler and mix with some olive oil and Parmesan cheese, yum!
Like you asparagus dressed with lemon juice is perfect.
Lemon juice, I meant to add, is a good detox for the liver as well.
And it helps to get rid of excess fluid in your body……a “debloater”. At least it works for me.
I never thought to sprinkle asparagus with lemon juice. I will have to try that immediately!
Any suggestions for a different type of cheese that would taste similar, but is easier to find in the store?
I think parmesan would taste great too but Manchego has become quite easy to find. Try it if you can – it is so good!
How many portions does this recipe serve?
Serves 2. Hope you like it!
Love steamed asparagus plain with a little ground pepper. You need to taste the real food and not smother it with cheese, nuts, honey etc. Taste the food for what it is, and teach children to do same. Don’t disguise it with add-ons.
I love it plain too – asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables – steamed, boiled, roasted, grilled! But a change is good sometimes – this recipe is awesome. It is not smothered or disguised – it just makes it extra yummy!
I disagree. It’s best to eat food without additives and enjoy the foods natural flavour.
Smothering food would be like dousing it with melted cheese or something that would hide the food. She’s not doing that. She’s simply making boring asparagus into a fun, healthy and very yummy salad. I don’t know ANY kid out there who would eat this vegetable plain. In fact I wouldn’t eat it plain so I’m not going to make my kids. Maybe you have extra special kids who will – good luck with that!
Great recipe Food Babe. thanks for taking the time to share!
I fed my kids mostly unseasoned, unmixed, and raw foods when they were small. I felt they needed to experience each food for what it was, and luckily they ate everything put in front of them, including plain asparagus. Now they are older and love combining flavors and recipes like this. They will still snack on plain food, too. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
I add asparagus to the last 30 minutes of baked chicken.
I also like it just steamed with lemon juice.
If I really need to unbloat I drink 2 oz of unsweetened cranberry juice and 14 oz of ice cold water with stevia to taste or an extra serving of your morning lemon juice or a smoothie with lots of spinach (about 3 cups to 1 cup almond milk, and a cup of frozen peaches, stevia to taste and it is so pretty too – a bright green).
We love to toss asparagus with a bit of olive oil and kosher or sea salt and dried thyme. Asparagus and thyme taste great together. Broil or grill. I like it to almost start to blacken—a little crispy on the outside, but not overly done.
So glad to see Food Babe referring readers to Green Polka Dot Box. I am one of their Founding Trust Members and it is a GREAT company promoting all non-GMO, organic food at reasonabel prices. We need to get the word out to aas many people as possible so this company can grow and thrive!
Does Green Polka Dot Box have a Facebook page?
I answered my own question: yes, they do! https://www.facebook.com/greenpolkadotbox?fref=ts
I would love to try Green Polka Dot Box, but they don’t ship to FPO/APO addresses. If this changes in the near future, I would definitely become a loyal customer!
Paula, I have forwarded your request on to the Founder of GPDB. I will let you know when he responds. Thanks!
Does anyone have a recommendation on what to pair this with entree wise? I would love to have this with dinner, and while this dish would likely be perfect on its own for me, I know my husband would complain about not having enough food!
I think it would be perfect with a piece of Wild Salmon! (really any fish prepared very simply with olive oil, salt, pepper and a squirt of lemon at the end)
Do you eat vinegar? If you drizzle a little organic balsamic vinegar over asparagus and then lightly grill it until it carmelizes…it’s wonderful!! Even the kids can’t get enough!
That sounds so good! I have grilled it but not with balsamic – will try it soon.
I’d love to make the asparagus salad for my daughter, who’s vegan. Is there a vegan cheese-like item I could buy that would be similar to manchego?
You can just leave out the cheese and it will still be yummy. There are also lots of vegan parmesan recipes that you can find on-line. That would work well also. Good luck!
The asparaus salad looks wonderful. I drink a LOT of water to de-bloat (even way more than usual, which is a lot!) If I stick to salads for a few days, that helps too. Just found your great blog via Mercola. Fantastic!
Welcome Pam! Thanks for finding me 🙂
I buy stinging nettle decoction–sold in all health food stores or good Coops. One dropper in a little water, drink it and voila! less than a half hour later you feel better.
How much asparagus is two bunches? When you buy them the size varies a lot! Two bunches sounds like a lot for two servings? This sounds amazing so I want to have enough dressing for the amount of asparagus.
Thanks, love your site!
Susan
Hi Vani.
I, too, just discovered your website via Dr. Mercola’s newsletter; which I receive daily. I am so happy someone as vocal as yourself has taken the reigns to get the word out about the foods we are swindled into buying! Education and knowledge is power. I have forwarded your website to all my friends and family, and, they in turn, will do the same! Keep up the good work! Your website has been stored in my Favorites.
God bless.
Thank you so much.
Mercola brought me to you and I’m looking forward to reading more of your site. Thank you for the work you are doing. The SAD state our people are in because of the mess we are in weighs on me. My journey to eating organic has been years in the making. Stomach trouble led me to stop eating gluten, caffeine(except for dark chocolate), processed foods(mostly!) and fasy foods for years now. Sugar feels to be my last dragon to slay. I feel I am investing in my health every time I eat right. Learning to eat veggies has been necessary and taken effort! I never buy asparagus but I will now, one of those veggies that I’m not in love with…yet! I eat organic, trying to eat more local organic when its available. I use Papa Spuds here in Raleigh, NC to get a lot of local organic food delivered to me, no excuses! I love Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar to battle the bloat! Drink a tsp. a few times a day. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for sharing!
I also found this website through Dr. Mercola.
Great recipe, but I would skip the honey.
Glad you found us!
I agree about skipping about skipping the honey. Why add sugar to a dish that’s supposed to be healthful?
I found you through Dr. Mercola, and I’m so glad I did. Great tips here. Thank you.
Welcome Terry!
I love your website! I have cut out all things made with flour and started drinking green smoothies for breakfast and lunch, which includes kale, spinach, berries, chia seeds, flaxseed and coconut oil and water. All my digestive issues are 90 percent gone and I am no longer sick every day!! I havent completely switched every thing to organic but wanted to know what I can do on a budget with switching out corn products? We still eat corn chips and tortillas and tons of cheese on a regular basis. Is this bad for bloating? My stomach seems to have gotten bigger again lately and cheese and chocolate and rice crackers are things I have a lot of!! Help! 🙂
Grilled asparagus with lemon pepper and olive oil. It’s my favorite on the grill. You can also bake at 350 for 15 min
I always feel like I’m fighting puffiness, and I don’t eat a lot of processed food. Good old biology; I remember learning about the sodium-potassium pump in high school. I never know what to do with asparagus either. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My sis made this. Used parmesan and added some grated jicama. I think it was the best salad I’ve ever had!!! I’ve been sharing it with everyone I know! Thanks so much!! We think it would also work with fresh green beans or snap peas. 🙂
So glad to hear it!
this was yum!
Hi !!
Question, is it toxic to put hot food, and also hot tea into the fridge?
Hi Pauline – it is better to let food cool before putting in fridge so it will reach safe temperature faster. It shouldn’t matter with tea but I always cool with ice first.
I don’t have hazelnuts on hand… would roasted almonds work well in this recipe?
Sure!
i am only in high school so i am not in charge of what my parents buy… although they are into eating healthy. I am trying to lose weight but am having trouble getting off the processed and sugary foods, especially since school just started back up. Advice?
BTW I love your ideas and I love asparagus!!!
Hi Olivia – try and pick out a few recipes that you would like to make (or you and your parents make together) Make a grocery list for them and I bet they will be willing to buy the ingredients. Check out some more of Food Babe’s recipes. https://foodbabe.com/recipe-rendezvous/ Good luck!
Love, LOVE asparagus! Never knew it was a good de-bloater though! Definitely going to try this salad…sounds delish! I have an ongoing problem with water retention, especially in my legs. When it gets particularly bad, I double up on my cranberry supplement, drink more water, get more sleep and WALK! Nothing seems to help more than brisk walking to get the lymph glands functioning more efficiently to drain excess fluids! 🙂
We steam and serve asparagus with shaved parm and balsamic but my favorite is to sauté. I snap the asparagus into inch pieces, mince 2 cloves garlic and thinly slice a red bell pepper and put it into a bowl with about a tbl of good olive oil and a solid pinch of sea salt, dried oregano and thyme and a grind of black pepper. I usually let this sit while the other parts of the meal are cooking, maybe an hour tops. Heat a pan over medium high for a minute or two and then add the asparagus mix and sauté until the asparagus is bright green and the garlic is fragrant, maybe 2-2 1/2 minutes. Guess I need to get some asparagus since I am really bloated 🙂
If I need to debloat and/ or lose weight I would never add high salt cheese, natural sugars (honey), or even healthy fats (nuts, oils) to my my healthy fiberous veggies. Nuts, although very healthy are extremely fattening & wouldnt be my choice at a time when I want to drop a few Lb’s.. When I need to slim down or lose water I keep all dressings super low fat and low salt using things such as vinegars, lemon juics is good, homeade low salt salsa, keifer, and stevia. I also eat a lot of cucumber and any high fiberous vegatable and lots of salads. If I want a bit of healthy fat I add 1 Tbsp Lemon Barleans 369 Omega oil blend. I would say the salad is good if u remove the honey, high fat nuts and high salt cheese if u are trying to debloat. Keep it low fat and low salt!
*juice.
The asparagus salad sounds much better for times when u are not watching your bloat and or calories. If u are stick with the lemon but remove the fatty nuts, cheese and salts from the dressing.
Strangley.. I never gain water weight in my abs/ midsection which is always very flat and ripped. Insteady I gain the water bloat in my thighs which are like salt sponges from the knee up!! Hate that!
Made this tonight. Was easy and delicious. Served it warm.
Pretty presentation – will make for company but will also now be one of our go-to for regular weeknight dinners. We eat asparagus all the time.
Thanks FB!
High Fives Food Babe! I made this really fast Monday night (actually messed up the dressing a little) but brought it for lunch for two days. I probably ate 1 entire bunch of asparagus each day but I will admit that my pants felt looser, I didn’t feel bloated or uncomfortable, and I also wasn’t hungry until 3-4 hours later, which is normal for me.
Good work all around!
p.s. I used goat cheese because I didn’t have manchego around and thought I just needed a little cheese for protein.
@Vianeyy…..tazcj said they sell it at your door in Mexico. Not that it was Mexican cheese……
Thanks Vani for all you do and especially for sharing this wonderful recipe. I made this salad for my parents and they loved it! The dressing is delicious.
Sounds delicious. Heading to WFM this morning and will definitely pick up asparagus. Also just LOVE ABC Carpet and Home – my favorite NYC retail, and the food is awesome!
Iced tea is a wonderful natural diuretic. Eating celery can help as well.
Has anyone made this a day ahead? If so, did you just steam the asparagus and cook the hazelnuts? Then add cheese and dressing the next day? Is it good cold? I have 30 ppl coming for dinner and wanted to make something new.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Happy Holidays.
I love Manchego. I first had it in Puerto Vallarta from the grocery store and only recently found it again at Trader Joes, and then a big brick of it from Costco. The Costco one was quite hard and reminded me a bit of parmesan.
I’m sure you love it when people tell you they liked your recipe and then told you all the ways they changed it. Well, here I go… I didn’t have enough asparagus so I also used up a half head of cauliflower and a few carrots. I roasted them all at 425. Then I didn’t have the hazelnuts, but I did have Brazil nuts. I followed everything else with half the amount of dressing and also added a bit of bacon (if I’m allowed to say that word on your site) 🙂
Thank you for the inspiration. It’s wonderful, and asparagus season is just around the corner, so I know I’ll be making this again!
Dear Food Babe; I really love your web site ; i have so much respect for you and your work i have trying to get on your E mail for months it keeps telling theres something is wrong i get on everyone elses web site i dont;nt understand will you help me thank you so much please keep up the good work Betty
My debloat trick is liver cleanse tea (has dandelion, milk thistle, etc). I drink 16oz/day for a month every 6 months or so. I gstarted drinking this to help cure endometriosis. I don’t know if it helps endo, but it makes me less bloated, clears my skin, whitens the whites of my eyes and cleans out all my earwax (tmi).
http://www.amazon.com/Liver-Cleanse-Flushing-Tea-Bulk/dp/B00028LTX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389155221&sr=8-1&keywords=Liver+cleanse+flushing+tea
Very healthy recipe. A healthy diet is most important for having a healthy and beautiful skin. High salt intake results in fluid retention this leads to sometimes kidney problem. Good article and very helpful.
Finally a delicious way to cook asparagus! I loved the recipe, but I would like to know the nutrition please
Vani! This was a nice change from plain old asparagus. I’m thinking it would work on Brussels sprouts as well! Thanks!
Thank you so much for your time and effort getting all these fab recipes out into the world. We are making this at work for lunch tomorrow! Sounds AMAZING! We are adding baby kale to ours.. 😉
I’m sorry… but I just can’t trust anyone who hates Hollandaise.
😉
i LOVE asparagus but it is impossible to find organic asparagus!!!!!
Is it true that asparagus can thin your blood also.
I am sure that you know, as do most of the very intelligent commenters, that one if the main problems with salt is the consumption of fake salt. Get Himilayian Pink table salt in a nice grinder and use it. Dutch the white sifto… And good luck with the sugar, the most addictive substance I have had the pleasure to tackle.
I made your recipe asparagus salad, now it’s my favorite dish. I took picture of it and posted on FB, with link to your side – now all my friends want to make it as well. Thank you for changing “boring” asparagus, I eat asparagus 2 times a week and having such a delicious version, makes it even better. For those (Su ) who wants to eat raw or plain asparagus – go ahead and do it..this recipe is for people with rich taste for different things. Again thank you ,looking forward for more simple and yet delicious dishes from you.
Is herbal life shakes and products safe?