A delightful spring inspired salad with crisp tender asparagus and egg nestled on butter lettuce and topped with a shallot champagne vinaigrette!
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
