This Egg & Asparagus BLT Salad combines all the goodness of a BLT into an amped up salad topped with perfectly cooked asparagus and over-easy eggs for the entree salad of your dreams.
And now for today’s little beaut. I was introduced to an egg & asparagus salad a few year’s back when I did a guest post for my dear friend Sarah’s six year blog anniversary. It was (still is) one of her favorite meals, and I was happy to make it in her honor! When I was trying to decide what recipe to make, to highlight the delicious asparagus, I immediately thought of making a kicked up version of that salad. That also meant I got to use more eggs and some crisp romaine! All things BLT, with asparagus, eggs, and a yummy dressing? Yeah, I was all over that in a heartbeat!
There’s just something about an over-easy egg, when you break it open and watch all that deliciousness pour out over the other food. Doesn’t even matter what it is, most of the time, it just makes it better. This salad is no different. And the asparagus is cooked so that it is crisp-tender – not mushy – and has just the right amount of crunch with each bite. Add to that the crisp romaine and bacon, creamy avocado, and cherry tomatoes and you have the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Oh, and the dressing? Just the right amount of tanginess to tickle those taste buds. If you couldn’t tell, I kinda love this salad. And the toddler did, too! That, my friends, is one of the best compliments this mama can get these days. Because, finicky toddler.
But please, don’t just take my word for it. The weekend is coming…and you need this in your life. Brunch food at it’s best!
Egg & Asparagus BLT Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and coarsely-ground black pepper
- 4 large Eggland’s Best eggs
- 1 bunch Michigan Asparagus spears preferably thick, trimmed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 head of Cal-Organic Farms Romaine Lettuce roughly chopped
- 1 large avocado peel and pit removed, sliced
Instructions
- To make the vinaigrette, combine the mustard, vinegar, and oil in a small jar with a lid. Secure the lid tightly, shake until well-combined, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lay on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until just cooked through. (If your asparagus is pretty thick, you may end up cooking 10-12 minutes…just check it after 7 and then cook an additional 2 minutes at a time, as needed, until done.)
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until slightly crisp. Remove to a paper towels and allow the grease to drain off. When the bacon is cool, rough chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Drain the bacon grease and wipe the skillet clean. Drizzle a little olive oil or butter in the pan, over medium heat and add the eggs. Season with salt and pepper and cook the eggs to over-easy, making sure the yolks don’t break and are still runny, about 3 minutes (time will vary depending on your stove-top heat.)
- To assemble, divide the romaine between two plates, top with half the bacon, tomatoes, asparagus spears, and avocado slices. Top each salad with 2 eggs, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking, originally from Dorie Greenspan’s “Around my French Table” cookbook
Oh yeah!!! Now I want to try your version. Putting it on the menu for this weekend 🙂
Perfect for a brunch