Melissa Hemsley’s BLT Salad with Asparagus Recipe
The perfect packed lunch or picnic dish for the summer, Melissa Hemsley's healthy BLT salad is substantial and full of flavour.
From the book
Eat Happy: 30 Minute Feel-good Food
Easy midweek meals
Vegetarian mains
Feelgood desserts
Introduction
This is a spring meets summer salad for when asparagus is in season and the warm weather is luring you outside for your lunch break.When asparagus are out of season, make this with green beans or broccoli. This is delicious served cold as a part of a packed lunch or a picnic but also very tasty as a warm dish with the bacon and asparagus straight from the oven and the eggs still hot, yolks oozing. Be sure to use good-quality bacon or swap the bacon for a handful of anchovies or fried halloumi slices. BLT salad with asparagus Use It Up Use any salad leaf, and add in that bit of leftover cucumber or celery for extra crunch.
Ingredients
| 6 | rashers of bacon |
| 350g | asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off |
| 6 | eggs |
| leaves of 4 Little Gem lettuces | |
| 200g | tomatoes, sliced (or halved if cherry tomatoes) |
| flesh of 1 large avocado, cubed | |
| For the dressing: | |
| 2 tbsp | chives, chopped |
| 6 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 2 tsp | mustard |
| 2 tbsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 1 tsp | raw honey or maple syrup |
| sea salt and black pepper |
Method
1. Preheat the grill to high, or the oven to fan 220°C/Gas mark 9, and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Place the bacon rashers and asparagus spears on the lined baking tray and either grill for 6–8 minutes (turning halfway) or roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with boiling water and cook the eggs on a medium simmer for 6½ minutes. Remove from the pan and leave to cool in cold or iced water before peeling and cutting in half.
5. Place the lettuce leaves, tomatoes and avocado in a large serving bowl, drizzle over half the dressing and gently toss. Roughly chop up the cooked bacon and scatter over, along with the hot asparagus and egg halves, then drizzle over the rest of the dressing to serve.
Use it up: Use any salad leaf, and add in that bit of leftover cucumber or celery for extra crunch.
