There’s a fantastic Asparagus, Bacon and Strawberry Salad with Poached Eggs coming your way in 0.1 seconds, but first let me get something very simple off my chest!
Runny egg yolk!
Oh my word, I love you.
I love you so, so much.
I’m just going to tell you my favorite things about this salad because I can hardly handle talking about anything else related to this.
Why, you ask?
BACON! EGGS! ASPARAGUS! STRAWBERRIES! Need I all-capitalize more?
Oh yes, wait. GARLIC VINAIGRETTE!
- I bought some strawberries and contemplated sharing my all-time favorite strawberry, feta, avocado and baby spinach salad. But then I went -> Google -> Pinterest -> strawberry-feta-avocado-baby-spinach-salad-overload. At first I was all upset but sometimes cooking is better when I’m angry. Case in point: The birthing of this bacon-y awesomeness.
- There’s bacon. Lots and lots of thick cut bacon. You want to buy it in one piece, trim it and then slice it into thick slivers by yourself. Make sure you fry them all the way to crispiness. All. the. way.
- When you’re done frying the bacon you’ll have loads and loads of awesome fat left in the pan. Don’t throw it out. Pan-roast the asparagus in it. Yes, there is bacon fat roasted asparagus on this salad. You’re welcome.
- OH my word the vinaigrette. It is just. No. Can’t.
- Let’s try this again: There is a garlic vinaigrette dressing this salad. Homemade. With actual garlic that’s been microplaned into a paste. Don’t eat this on a first date. Just don’t.
- Do I even need to tell you? The poached egg? Remember? Yeah. #putaneggonit
Let’s have this for lunch everyday until we get sick of it and then have it for breakfast instead.
And what about brunch? Brinner?
Is there a crossover for lunch and dinner?
Well, if there is, let’s have this Asparagus, Bacon and Strawberry Salad with Poached Eggs then as well. Because let’s face it friends – a spring salad doesn’t get much better than this.
Oh wait! What was I thinking – it does get better. Have it with a glass of champagne. Yeah, just do it.
Why? Because I said so.
Asparagus, Bacon and Strawberry Salad with Poached Eggs
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Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 clove garlic minced into a paste on a microplane
- 1/2 small shallot minced into a paste on a microplane
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 4 ounces smoked pork belly thickly sliced (or use pre-cut thick bacon), 110g
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed
- 1/2 tbsp vinegar
- 4 large eggs
- 6 cups frisée lettuce washed and torn into leaves
- 12 strawberries quartered
Instructions
- Add all vinaigrette ingredients except for the salt and pepper to a small mason jar and close the lid tightly. Shake vigorously, taste and season. Add more oil or vinegar according to your taste and keep the dressing covered in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and fry until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove it from the pan, leaving behind as much rendered fat as possible (this is the good stuff!). Add the asparagus to the hot pan (careful, this can splash!) and cook until tender and slightly roasted, shaking the pan from time to time. This should take about 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus stalks.
- While the asparagus is roasting, bring a wide pot of water to the boil. Add a splash of vinegar and turn the heat back to medium-high. Crack one egg into a cup. Give the water a good stir before dropping the egg in all at once. Add the remaining eggs quickly in the same manner and poach for 2-4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and use at once.
- To assemble, divide the frisée between four plates. Cut the asparagus into thirds and scatter over the lettuce. Divide the strawberries and bacon between the plates, then the vinaigrette. Top each salad with a poached egg and add some freshly cracked pepper on top. Serve immediately.
