Asparagus Salad
2 bunches of asparagus
bacon (I cooked about 12 slices, and used 1/2 a slice on my serving)
boiled eggs (I made 5 boiled eggs, and topped my serving with 1/2 of one)
one pint of grape tomatoes, halved
one yellow pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)
sea salt, to taste
First step, cooking the bacon. It's a personal preference, but I like my bacon crispy, especially in a salad like this one. We buy the thick sliced bacon, and cook in the oven. I put on a baking sheet lined with foil, and cook at 400 degrees. I cook about 15 minutes, then flip, cooking about another 15 minutes. Remove from sheet, place on plate lined with paper towel.
While the bacon is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus to boiling water, and boil 4 - 5 minutes. Drain, and add asparagus to a bowl of ice water, letting it rest for about 20 seconds, then drain again. While my water was boiling for the asparagus, I also put my eggs on to boil.
Chop asparagus and place in large mixing bowl. Add all veggies, 1/3 cup of vinaigrette, sprinkle with sea salt, and mix. Chill 30 minutes. When serving, top with diced boiled egg and bacon pieces.
For the balsamic vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsmic vinegar
1 T diced red onion
1 T dijon mustard
1 T honey
1/4 tsp garlic
dash of salt
dash of pepper
Mix above ingredients in food processor or blender.
