Spring Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

A platter of asparagus salad with crispy prosciutto, goat cheese, and hard boiled eggs.

5 from 1 vote

Spring Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

Spring Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto is the perfect spring harvest salad! With asparagus in season, this hearty salad can be lunch or dinner on its own, or the perfect side dish for Easter dinner! A fresh bed of salad greens is loaded with al dente asparagus, avocado, hard boiled eggs, goat cheese, oven-baked crispy prosciutto and a simple Lemon Herb Salad Dressing!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

For the Salad

4 ounces baby lettuce or arugula mix
1 bunch asparagus
2 eggs
6 slices prosciutto
3 ounces goat cheese crumbled
1 avocado sliced
¼ cup red onion sliced (optional)

For the Dressing

½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
6 grinds fresh black pepper
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 lemon about 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
3 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° for the prosciutto. Hard boil the eggs. For Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs - Place eggs in a pot covering them with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Right when they reach a boil, turn off the heat and cover. Let them sit in the hot water for 17 minutes. Set a timer! Run under cold water, crack, peel and slice each egg into 6 or 8 wedges.
Make the crispy prosciutto. Lay slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, they will crisp as they cool.
Blanch the Asparagus. Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil over high heat. Wash asparagus, trim and discard the tough ends, about an inch or so cut off the bottom. Slice them in large pieces with a diagonal bias cut. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the boiling water and drop the asparagus in for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness. Drain and reserve. You should have al dente asparagus, still with a crisp bite and not mushy.
Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a jar with a lid and shake well to combine. Or make in a small bowl and whisk together.
Assemble the salad on a large platter. Arrange with the lettuce greens, then a layer of asparagus, red onion, goat cheese, hard boiled egg, avocado and crispy prosciutto broken into large pieces. You can do layers of each ingredient to distribute everything evenly. Drizzle the dressing over the top just before serving and toss gently if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Substitutes - Bacon can be substituted for the crispy prosciutto or left off for a vegetarian salad. The onion is certainly optional and fresh chives could be used. Feta or Parmesan cheese can be used in place of the goat cheese. Any store-bought vinaigrette dressing is fine too! And if you missed asparagus season, blanched green beans would also be delicious!
Storage - After dressing has been put on a salad, it doesn't keep very well, nor does sliced avocado. Keep this in mind when making up this salad for the number of people you are serving. You can make this salad ahead of time, any time during the day you plan to serve it, cover and keep in the fridge. If doing this, wait until serving to slice open your avocado and add your dressing. It's a great Easter side dish!

Nutrition