My grandmother made a white asparagus salad that I was too young to appreciate, but I can still see the vinegar-based salad sitting on the dinner table. Oh, how I wish I could share that salad with her now. Then a few years ago, a similar salad showed up in my SunBasket meal box, and it reminded me of my childhood, but this time I enjoyed the asparagus. With the influences of my grandmother and Sunbasket, I created my version of the salad just for you.
It is the perfect way to welcome the spring season. This salad can make an excellent lunch for two or a beautiful side dish for four.
Ingredients
Salad:
- Large eggs
- Asparagus (about 12 oz after being trimmed)
- Salt for water
Dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice about half a lemon
- Aged sherry vinegar (substitute regular sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar, or lemon juice)
- Finely minced shallot about ½ of a shallot
- Fresh parsley finely chopped
- Salt
- Black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Only cooking the asparagus until barely cooked. One minute for the thin pieces and two minutes for the thick pieces.
Follow any recipe for the hard boiled eggs, but this one is pretty on point.
Serve this salad warm, room temperature, or chilled (my personal preference)
Substitutions
- If you do not have Sherry Vinegar, you can substitute it with two tablespoons of lemon juice (about one lemon).
- You can also substitute the shallot with the white parts of the green onion, but I highly suggest using the shallot.
Storage
The salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator
Asparagus and Egg Salad
Equipment
- 1 Stovetop
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 bunch of asparagus about 12 oz after being trimmed
- 1 tablespoon salt for water
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar substitute regular sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot about ½ of a shallot
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a 6-quart pot, add 4 quarts of water and two eggs. Bring water to a boil. Once boiling, place the lid on the pot and turn off the heat. Set timer for 20 minutes. At the same time, eggs are cooking, trim and rinse your asparagus. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise and mustard. Whisk until combined and smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisk until combined and smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until well incorporated. Place in the refrigerator until ready to plate.
- Once eggs have cooked for 20 minutes, remove from hot water and submerge in a bowl of cold water and ice. While the eggs are cooling, cook the asparagus. To the same pot of water that cooked the eggs, add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring water to a boil. Carefully add in the asparagus. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove and place in the ice bath with the eggs.
- Remove the eggs from the ice bath and peel. On a large box grater, grate the egg. Set aside.
- Drain asparagus and set aside until ready to plate.
- You can add all your ingredients and toss the salad to mix. Or if you want a fancier presentation. Spread ¾ of the dressing on a plate, add a thin layer of the egg, stack your asparagus, and top with the remaining egg and dressing. Serve with tongs.
Video
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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