Asparagus and Golden Beet Salad
The season’s first asparagus pairs with tender butter lettuce and sweet golden beets in this springy salad, which comes together quickly, with a little bit of prep. Red beets are a bit wintry for this particular dish, but fortunately, golden beets are relatively easy to find at most supermarkets and simple to cook (see Tip). Just do so a day in advance, to save yourself some time. Similarly, you can prepare the eggs a day in advance, peeling and quartering them just before serving. A little bit of savvy planning goes a long way here.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2medium golden beets, cooked (see Tip)
- 2tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper
- 1bunch medium asparagus (about 15 spears)
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2small heads of butter lettuce, leaves separated, rinsed and patted dry
- 2to 3 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered (optional; see Tip)
Instructions
Step 1
Cut beets into smaller wedges or slices, and transfer to a salad bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.Step 2
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. In a medium pot, bring abundantly salted water to a low boil and cook asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Remove and spread out on a kitchen towel to cool. Set aside.Step 3
Make the vinaigrette: Put the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and all of the lemon juice in a small bowl. Add mustard and whisk to dissolve. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Step 4
Add salad leaves to beets and dress very lightly with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette.Step 5
Arrange leaves and beets on a platter or individual plates. Top with asparagus and ½ egg, if using, per plate. Drizzle remaining dressing over everything and serve.