Happy Easter weekend everybody! If your Easter is anything like mine, it’s usually filled with baskets full of chocolate, cheese boards, and lots of deviled eggs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all delicious, but sometimes I want something a little lighter to balance it all out. Enter my new favorite salad – a shaved asparagus salad done brunch style! It’s a salad even the Easter Bunny would approve of.
This recipe combines some of my favorite spring vegetables. You’ve got shaved asparagus, thinly sliced fennel, arugula and avocado – it’s so green and vibrant and just makes you feel like spring! The veggies are then tossed with a simple, light lemon vinaigrette.
Now, this is where things get fun. The salad then gets an Italian brunch spin with salty prosciutto and parmesan (who needs an Easter charcuterie board when you can have it in your salad!). It’s all topped with perfectly soft boiled eggs. You break into the eggs and the creamy yolk runs into the dressing, making the whole thing richly delicious. YUM!
This salad is perfect for any brunch where you’re trying to keep things a little lighter and healthier, but still give the people what they want (prosciutto, cheese and eggs of course). But you could always omit the fun stuff and make this as a side salad at dinner with fish or chicken. Either way, it’s sure to be a hit throughout the spring season!
How to Shave Asparagus
Shaving asparagus is actually very easy. What you’ll need is a y-peeler like this one. Hold the asparagus a couple inches from the bottom so you miss the fibrous, woody part. Then peel up towards the tip of the spear. You might knock the tip off, but that’s ok, just throw those into the salad as well. I like to put the asparagus at the edge of a cutting board so that the peeler has some room when you get towards the bottom.
Wine Pairings with Shaved Asparagus Salad
- Champagne or Sparkling Wine: It’s brunch so why not! Go with a dry or brut style sparkling, and the carbonation will help cut through the richness of the eggs.
- Sancerre: This is a French sauvignon blanc from the Loire valley, and one of my go-to wines. The fruitiness will balance well with the earthy, peppery spring vegetables.
Shaved Asparagus Brunch-Style Salad
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
A healthy brunch salad of fresh spring vegetables in a lemon vinaigrette, topped with parmesan, prosciutto, and soft boiled eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus ((the thicker the spears, the better))
- 1 fennel bulb (thinly sliced)
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 avocado (diced)
- ½ cup shaved parmesan
- 8 eggs
- 6 slices prosciutto (roughly torn)
For the lemon vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the soft boiled eggs: Bring pot of water to a boil over medium high heat (with enough water to cover the eggs). Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water. Boil for 6 and ½ minutes and then remove from heat, drain and rinse eggs under cold water to cool.
- Make the dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Shave the asparagus: Hold each asparagus spear a couple inches from the bottom end while on the edge of a cutting board. Use a y-peeler to shave long ribbons from the bottom at your fingers to top and add them to a large bowl. If any tips fall off, that’s ok just add them to the bowl too.
- Assemble the salad: Add fennel, arugula, avocado and parmesan to the bowl as well. Drizzle in half of the dressing to start and toss. Add in more dressing as desired.
- Peel the cooled eggs. Serve salad with 2 eggs each, cut in half, and several ribbons of prosciutto. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Salad
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