This asparagus and herb salad is the essence of spring. Chopped asparagus is tossed with parsley, basil, tarragon, and mint and then drizzled with a lemon dressing. A soft boiled egg adds a welcome creaminess to the dish.
Ah, spring. Although the season means lotsa things to lotsa people. Equinox. Easter. Tulips. The moment you no longer need to schlep your winter coat along with you everywhere. And, for some of us, spring equates to asparagus. The kind of asparagus you only get in spring. The kind of asparagus that tastes grassy in a good way. The kind of asparagus that’s entirely unlike the hothouse-grown spears you find in supermarkets the rest of the year. This asparagus and herb salad is for when you find those sorta spears. Happy spring.–David Leite
Can I substitute other herbs in my salad?
If you’re out of tarragon or basil but want this salad right NOW, you do have a few other options. Asparagus is brilliant when paired with dill, especially. You can also go with lemon balm, Mediterranean oregano or even thyme.
☞ Contents
Asparagus and Herb Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus (not pencil thin)
- Kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 loosely packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- Sea salt for garnish
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives for garnish
Directions
- Snap off and discard the tough, woody ends of the asparagus. Using a paring knife, cut off the tips of each spear about 2 inches from the top. Slice the remaining stalks on the diagonal into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces.
- Fill a bowl with ice water. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Add the asparagus tips to the boiling water. Cook until bright green and slightly tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute for thinner tips and 1 to 2 minutes for fatter tips. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to scoop the asparagus tips into the ice water. Keep the pot of water boiling.
- When the cooked tips are cool, use a slotted spoon to move them to a colander. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Move to a large bowl.
- Carefully add the eggs to the boiling water. Cook for exactly 6 minutes. Drain thoroughly and place in the ice water. When cool enough to handle, use the back of a spoon or a hard surface to lightly crack the shell of each egg and return the eggs to the ice water for 1 minute. Gently and carefully peel the eggs.
- Just before serving, coarsely chop the parsley, basil, tarragon, and mint leaves, and add them to the asparagus tips. Add the raw asparagus stalks, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Toss to thoroughly combine. Divide the asparagus and herb salad among serving dishes. Top each with an egg, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and chives. Originally published March 27, 2018.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
If spring could be described by a recipe, it would be this asparagus and herb salad. It’s a classic example that really good food doesn’t need to be complicated or fussy. The combination of crunchy asparagus, bright herbs, tangy dressing, and that oh-so-perfect egg on top was like the first taste of spring in a bowl. (Granted, it’s the dead of winter here, but a girl can always dream.)
As with any recipe that relies so completely on the quality of ingredients, you definitely want to pick very fresh asparagus and herbs to get the best flavor. The instructions for cooking the eggs were perfect. I left them in the ice bath for 2 minutes before cracking. They peeled easily and the yolks were soft and jammy but not runny. Absolutely perfect for the dish.
This recipe makes a crisp, green, almost grassy (in a good way) salad. The raw asparagus stalks might be a surprise, but their crunch and flavor work well with the blend of herbs. The tips get a quick blanch, which works as a nice complement to the crunch sections of stalk. The soft egg and simple dressing work well together for a very satisfying plateful.
The recipe easily divides so you can make it for 2 or 4 or more. The herb prep is the longest bit of work, but once you have the herbs measured and set aside, you can blanch and ice, and while the eggs are cooking you have time to chop the herbs as fine as you wish. You could prepare and chill the asparagus ahead of time.
I made this twice—first with some and then with all of the herbs called for. Both versions worked—and while the tarragon and basil added some depth, it worked fine without them when a holiday week left the grocer a little empty on those two items.
The more important thing is the asparagus. I think you really do want medium spears—it worked best with the ones I found that were between 1/2 and 3/4 inch diameter (1.25 to 2 cm). The version I made with the thinner stalks, when those were all available, were a little more grassy or raw tasting and I think that is just the ratio of interior flesh to skin flavor. This confirms the caution in the recipe not to try this with pencil-thin asparagus.
Be sure to keep your water at a proper boil, not just a simmer, for the egg to be just right at 6 minutes, so the whites are properly set. Use your best olive oil and a nice lemon. I think even a bit of lemon zest or preserved lemon goes nicely with the dusting of chives. You can use kitchen shears to snip the chives over the plated salad.
I think this is an elegant salad but wouldn’t insist people use every herb listed–a little tarragon goes a long way and maybe some would prefer a smaller amount or to use fennel or dill. I think the parsley comes thru a bit too dominant. If I only could find really thick asparagus, I might shave them with a vegetable peeler—a preparation that I find works equally well with raw asparagus with a lemon and olive dressing like this, similar to a zucchini carpaccio from Patricia Wells.
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I was fortunate to get really nice asparagus, very tender even with a wide and woody base. The mixture of basil, mint, tarragon, parsley, and chives was spot on—no particular herb overpowered the others. The technique for peeling the eggs worked well. Even after the eggs were placed in ice water, they still were warm when placed on the salad, a very nice contrast.
Beautiful. Chuck S. Thank you.