Asparagus Salad with Eggs and Prosciutto
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Recipe type: Salad
 
I could eat salads all day, especially when they're made with farm-fresh produce like asparagus. This salad is a meal in itself. Topped with hard boiled eggs and prosciutto, it's filling, nourishing, and easy to make. If you want to go completely vegetarian, skip the ham or swap it for green olives, nuts, or chickpeas. Just get creative!
Ingredients
  • 24 asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
  • 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup white wine vinegar, divided
  • ¼ cup packed fresh basil
  • ¼ cup lightly packed fresh tarragon
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ clove peeled garlic
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Bibb lettuce leaves
  • 6 slices prosciutto (or other cured ham), sliced thin
  • 4 large eggs, hard boiled and halved *
Instructions
  1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes and set aside. Layer a few pieces of paper towel on a cutting board or other word surface and set aside.
  2. Place the shallot in a small bowl and cover with 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. (A quick "pickle" in the vinegar will soften the flavor of the shallot.) Set aside.
  3. To blanch the asparagus, fill a large skillet about ¾ full with water. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Carefully place the asparagus spears into the boiling water and cook until crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongues, transfer the cooked asparagus to the ice water. Once the asparagus spears are cool, transfer to the paper towels to drain and dry.
  4. To make the dressing, place the remaining ¼ cup vinegar, basil, tarragon, Parmesan cheese, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add the oil and continue to process until combined. Add more oil to taste.
  5. To assemble the salad, place the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Top with the asparagus spears, shallot, prosciutto, eggs, and additional herbs as desired. Drizzle with the dressing. (Leftover dressing can be refrigerated for two weeks.)
  6. * I like to hard boil eggs by steaming. Here is a link to my easy-peel method.
Recipe by Lizs Healthy Table at https://liz.afones.com/2018/05/30/asparagus-salad-with-eggs-and-prosciutto/