Asparagus Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Porcini Vinaigrette
Elegant bruschetta featuring tender asparagus and creamy goat cheese, topped with a rich porcini mushroom vinaigrette. This sophisticated appetizer combines earthy mushrooms, tangy cheese, and fresh asparagus on toasted bread.
Ingredients
- •½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- •1 cup boiling water
- •¼ cup sherry vinegar
- •¼ cup minced shallots
- •2 teaspoons sugar
- •¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- •2 bunches green asparagus
- •8 ounces fresh goat cheese
- •8 slices good quality bread
- •pain de mie
- •pullman or sourdough
- •crusts trimmed
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Put dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let stand 20 minutes. Pour mushrooms with liquid through a paper towel-lined sieve into a small saucepan. Transfer mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop. Add vinegar, shallots, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and half of mushrooms to saucepan and boil mixture until it is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Sauce can be served warm or at room temperature.
30 min
- 2.
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in upper third.
5 min
- 3.
Stir together remaining chopped mushrooms with softened goat cheese in a small bowl.
5 min
- 4.
Place a steamer basket in a 5-quart pot filled with 2 inches of water. Steam asparagus, covered, just until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry.
10 min
- 5.
Halve asparagus crosswise.
5 min
- 6.
Arrange bread slices on a large baking sheet. Brush with some olive oil and bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
12 min
- 7.
Spread goat cheese mixture generously on toasts.
5 min
- 8.
To serve, place a toast in the center of a salad plate and arrange 4 or 5 stem ends of asparagus on each. Top stems with asparagus tips, arranging them perpendicular to stems. Drizzle asparagus and surrounding plate with vinaigrette.
10 min
