Lightly steamed asparagus spears are drizzled with a lemony vinaigrette and sprinkled with hard-cooked egg in this dressy but simple spring salad. The French always serve asparagus on its own (never on a plate with other dishes). You can follow suit and serve this as a first course to a spring dinner, or chuck tradition and serve it alongside a roast chicken and steamed new potatoes.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 lb. asparagus
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. minced parsley, chives, chervil, dill, or combination
Preparation:
- Place egg in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat, and let sit 14 minutes. Transfer egg to a bowl of ice water and let sit to cool, about 10 minutes. Peel and finely chop egg and set aside.
- Meanwhile, trim and discard tough ends of asparagus or, for a prettier presentation, peel tough ends. In a large frying pan bring 1/4 in. water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. salt and asparagus, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until asparagus is tender, about 3 minutes.
- Immediately rinse asparagus under cold running water until cool. Pat dry and arrange on a serving platter.
- In a small bowl, mix oil, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, mustard, and pepper to combine. Stir in herbs. Drizzle over asparagus. Sprinkle with egg. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 servings of Asparagus With Vinaigrette and Egg.
