A delightful spring inspired salad with crisp tender asparagus and egg nestled on butter lettuce and topped with a shallot champagne vinaigrette!
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Asparagus is easily one of my favourite vegetables and I will happily eat it year-round, whether or not it’s in season. But asparagus really is at its peak in early spring when stalks are thin and tender and the taste is almost sweet. This composed asparagus egg salad is the very definition of spring, with blanched asparagus and hard-boiled eggs nestled on top of delicate butter lettuce. Shallots add a punch of flavour, and champagne wine vinegar creates a light, not too strong, vinaigrette.
Ingredient Notes
Asparagus: I prefer to blanch and chill asparagus before adding to a salad rather than serving it raw. Trim the tough ends from the asparagus before blanching.
Hard boiled eggs: Eggs and asparagus are a classic food pairing. Here I have separated the whites and yolks and chopped them separately. This is purely for aesthetic reasons and you can easily chop them whole or just slice them for convenience.
Shallots: Minced raw shallots add a pungent bite to this salad that is sorely needed with all these delicate flavours.
Champagne wine vinegar: Champagne wine vinegar is essentially a white wine vinegar made from the same grapes that Champagne is made from. I use it often in vinaigrettes simply because I love its delicate flavour. It is slightly more fruity than other wine vinegars and doesn’t pack quite as strong a punch. As a substitute you could use white wine vinegar or even a white balsamic would be great. If you don’t have either of those then try a sherry wine or red wine vinegar instead. You can find champagne wine vinegar in specialty stores or online here and here.
Dijon mustard: Adding Dijon mustard will help emulsify the dressing.
Light olive oil: I like using a light olive oil in salad dressings but you can substitute with any neutral oil that you prefer. Avoid using extra virgin olive oil which can impart a bitter flavour.
How to Make Asparagus Egg Salad with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
Hard boil the eggs
Start by hard-boiling your eggs. There are so many different techniques out there but here is what I usually do. Place the eggs in a small saucepan. Cover the eggs completely with water and then put the uncovered saucepan over high heat. Bring the water up to a full boil before removing the saucepan from the heat. Cover with a lid and set the timer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, drain the eggs and allow to sit in cold water until the eggs are cool. Try to cool the eggs down as quickly as possible to avoid the grey ring that can sometimes form around the yolk. It is harmless but doesn’t look great. When cool, peel the eggs and set aside. The eggs can be hard-boiled ahead of time and kept in the fridge until serving.
Blanch the asparagus
Trim the tough ends of the asparagus stalks. Fill a wide, deep skillet with 1-2 inches of water. Season liberally with kosher salt. Take the time to taste the water, you should be able to taste the salt but it shouldn’t be overly salty like the sea. This will season the asparagus as it cooks and preserve its green colour. Bring the water to a boil.
Prepare an ice water bath on the side. Fill a large boil with 2 to 3 cups of ice cubes and set aside. I usually add the water just before I take the asparagus out so the ice cubes don’t melt prematurely.
When the water is boiling, add the asparagus. If you have a large bunch then you can blanch it in two batches. If your asparagus has different thicknesses, then separate them into batches based on size. Simmer the asparagus for 2 to 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus.
Check the asparagus with a fork, it should be tender but still have some resistance. Make sure the ice bath is filled with water. Remove the asparagus using tongs and submerge in the ice bath. Allow the asparagus to cool completely in the ice water to stop the cooking immediately.
Drain the blanched asparagus on a plate lined with paper towel. The blanched asparagus can be made ahead of time, covered, and stored in the fridge until serving.
Prepare the shallot champagne vinaigrette
Finely mince the shallot and place in a small bowl. Add the Champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper. Whisk together. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Add a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Set aside. The vinaigrette can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Over time the vinaigrette may separate, just whisk it back together if that happens.
Assemble the asparagus egg salad
To serve as composed individual salads, arrange 3 to 4 butter lettuce leaves on small plates. Top with the blanched, chilled asparagus. If desired, separate the egg white from the yolks and finely chop them separately. Then top the asparagus with the chopped egg.
Spoon the shallot champagne vinaigrette over the asparagus egg salad and serve!
Serving & Pairing Suggestions for Asparagus Egg Salad
I serve this Asparagus Egg salad individually composed however you could easily serve it tossed together in a bowl. Cut the blanched asparagus into 1-inch pieces and tear the butter lettuce into bite sized pieces. Toss the asparagus and lettuce together along with the vinaigrette to coat. Chop or slice the hard-boiled eggs and gently toss into the salad.
Pairing wine with salads can be tricky. A good rule of thumb is to pair the wine with the dressing, not the salad. In this case, a highly acidic vinaigrette calls for a similarly acidic wine. A highly acidic wine will holds its own against a sharp vinaigrette whereas the flavour of a less acidic wine will be lost. Here are a couple of options to try:
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Grüner Veltliner
- Dry Rosé
More Salad Recipes
If you’re looking for more fresh salad ideas, then try out these recipes:
Asparagus Egg Salad with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Asparagus Egg Salad
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
- 2 eggs
- butter lettuce leaves
- kosher salt
Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- ½ shallot finely minced
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 6 tbsp light olive oil
- kosher salad
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
- Begin by hard boiling the eggs. Place the eggs in a small sauce pan and cover completely with water. Put the uncovered saucepan over high heat and bring to a full boil. Once the water comes to a boil, remove the saucepan, cover with a lid, and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes drain the eggs and allow to sit in cold water until completely cooled. Once cool peel the eggs. Chop the eggs, whites and yolks separately if desired, and chill until ready to serve.
- Blanch the asparagus. Fill a deep, wide skillet with 1 to 2 inches of water. Add a generous amount of kosher salt. Taste the water, it should be lightly salted. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Prepare an ice bath by adding 2 to 3 cups of ice cubes to a large bowl. Fill with cold water and set aside.
- Add the asparagus to the simmering water. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes depending on how thick the stalks are. Check the asparagus with a fork, the stalks should be tender but still have some resistance. Use tongs to remove the asparagus and plunge into the water bath. Leave in the water bath until the asparagus are competely cold.
- Drain the asparagus on paper towel and chill until ready to serve.
Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
- Finely mince the shallot and place in a small bowl. Add the Champagne vinegar and Dijon mustard. Whisk together. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Add a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.
Assemble the Salad
- Arrange 3 or 4 leaves of butter lettuce on each plate. Top with the blanched asparagus and chopped eggs. Drizzle with the shallot champagne vinaigrette and enjoy!
I would love to hear what you think about my recipe in the comments below!
If you made the recipe, I would love to see! Tag @rhubarbandlavender on Instagram.