Arugula Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
Updated Mar 12, 2022, Published Mar 26, 2019
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Arugula, Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette is the perfect way to kick off spring! Peppery arugula, roasted asparagus, soft-boiled eggs and a lively lemon vinaigrette make the perfect side dish salad, especially with my Shrimp and Crab Shrimp and Crab Seafood Casserole.
What’s more spring-inspired than eggs? No Easter or Passover is complete without them.
Arugula, Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette is the perfect side dish salad or if you add another egg, a hearty main course salad. Pair it with a smooth and creamy tomato or carrot soup and you’ve got dinner!
But first, we need to cook some eggs!
How to make Arugula, Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette:
Anyone who has ever eaten an egg knows there are numerous ways to cook one. If you’re ordering them in a diner, there are a dozen or so ways you could request them. However, did you know the 100 folds in a chef’s hat represent all the number of ways a chef knows how to cook an egg?
Cooking the eggs for this Arugula, Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette recipe was a real learning experience for me because I had never done a “soft-boiled” egg before. I’ve done tons of hard-boiled eggs for deviled eggs and for a tuna salad that is a client favorite.
When it comes to making hard-boiled eggs easy to peel, you’ll find lots of information, tips and old wives tales. Some recommend not using fresh eggs. Um. Bleh. Who wants less-than-fresh eggs? Some recommend salt, vinegar or baking soda in the water. How does the egg know what’s in the water?
How to make easy-peel hard-cooked eggs:
Peeling eggs used to drive me and my mother-in-law crazy until we discovered this trick from Bon Appetit
- If you want eggs that will peel perfectly, you need to start with eggs that are good and cold out of the refrigerator.
- Carefully place them into boiling water. When that membrane between the egg white and the shell hits the boiling water, it will immediately separate from the white and adhere to the shell.
- Then, shock in ice water. Ta-Daaa! Life-changing egg moment!
How long to cook eggs for this recipe:
When testing for this recipe, I dropped them into boiling water and cooked one for 8 minutes, another for 4 minutes, then yet a third for 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
The third produced this lovely result! The yolk was “set” around the edges but the interior was still soft, creamy and runny. Yolk perfection!
Now, not everyone likes a runny yolk so if you boil them for 10-12 minutes, you’ll have a well-set yolk. Keep in mind that a runny yolk is not appropriate for children, the elderly or anyone else with a less-than-active immune system.
Then:
- While the eggs are boiling, roast some asparagus…
- Mix up the creamy lemon vinaigrette that starts with the goodness of Greek yogurt….
- Place arugula on a plate, top with the asparagus and eggs and drizzle with the creamy lemon vinaigrette!
So delicious! So springy!
For more great asparagus recipes, be sure to try my:
Arugula Egg and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 large eggs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch (1-pound) thin asparagus, tough ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 container (5-ounce) baby arugula
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, preferably full-fat
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an ice bath.
- Bring a small saucepan full of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs. Cook 6 minutes and 30 seconds or to desired doneness. Transfer to the bowl of ice water. Let stand for 2-3 minutes. Peel and cut in half.
- Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Roast for 5-6 minutes.
Vinaigrette
- Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. (It may not look like it's coming together at first, but keep whisking.)
To Serve
- Place arugula on a salad plate. Top with a fourth of the roasted asparagus. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Add two egg halves per plate and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’re organized, boiling the eggs, roasting the asparagus, and whisking the vinaigrette together can all be done in approximately the same amount of time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I am making this for our Easter lunch this weekend, can’t wait to try it…. looks so good!
Hi, Theresa, Thanks so much and sure hope you enjoy!!
Any thoughts for a dairy free replacement for the Greek yogurt in the dressing?
This sounds so good! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi, Alyssa, Thanks much for your question. I would use something like Tofutti Vegan Sour Cream. If it needs a little more tanginess, you could add more lemon juice. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!