Roasted Asparagus Salad with Dijon Dressing

I think it’s been a while since I’ve posted a salad recipe since I worry that it might be too simple and no one would be interested. Then I thought, ‘Why not? It’s summer and that’s what everyone is eating!’ Tell me I’m right. Either way, this salad is delicious and should not be ignored. Roasted asparagus, golden potatoes, perfectly cooked eggs, and a delightful Dijon dressing. Do I have your attention yet?

As with most fresh summer ingredients, I like to keep things simple and let the vegetables do all the work. My only job is to draw out the flavors and add a bit of heat. The less time I spend on prepping, the more time I have to eat and enjoy the outdoors.

Here, I am using a method from Food Wishes to make the perfect hard-boiled egg. It sounds trivial, but you will never look at hard-boiled eggs the same after this technique. The dressing portion will give you leftovers, but you can easily counter that by making extras of this salad.

No harm in that.

Roasted Asparagus Salad with Dijon Dressing
By W
Serves 2-3

Salad
A dozen asparagus stalks
3 small red potatoes
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarse-grain Dijon mustard
Half lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
Cayenne

Preheat oven to 400F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, immerse the eggs in cold water – place over high heat. Once the water starts to bubble and eggs begin to jiggle around, turn off the heat. Cover and let sit for exactly 17 minutes – remove them and let them sit in an ice bath until completely cool. Peel and slice them when ready.

While the eggs are cooling, chop the asparagus into 3” pieces and slice the potatoes ¼” thick. Lay them on the sheet pan and dress with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them in the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes or until the asparagus are tender and the potatoes are slightly golden. Let them cool and adjust seasoning if necessary.

In a jar, combine dressing ingredients and simply shake. Tweak the flavors to your liking.

Combine chopped parsley and scallions into a medium bowl. Add eggs, asparagus, and potatoes; pour dressing on top and toss.

Serve with greens or enjoy as is.