^[1]This tasty little dish is good served an appetizer with thinly sliced baguette. It’s especially nice as a starter for springtime celebrations.

6 servings

• 8 ounces small button mushrooms
• 8 to 10 ounces slender asparagus
• 1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts, halved or quartered (see Note)
• 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 1 large half-sour dill pickle, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wipe the mushrooms clean and trim the stem bottoms if they look dark or fibrous. If the mushrooms are larger than button size, cut them in half. Place in a skillet with just enough water to keep moist; cover and steam over moderate heat for two minutes, then drain and let cool.

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus, then cut the stalks into l-inch pieces. Using the same skillet, add just enough water to keep the bottom moist, cover, and steam until the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Combine the mushrooms and asparagus in a serving container. Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently.  Serve at once or refrigerate until needed.

Note: Choose from one 15-ounce can artichoke hearts (drained); one 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts (thawed); or from the supermarket olive bar.

Explore more of VegKitchen’s:

• Super Savory Salads ^[2]
• asparagus recipes ^[3]