An Asparagus Salad With a Fried Egg and Prosciutto Recipe

Get it out of your head now that salads are limited to bowls of lettuce. Sturdy vegetables like green beans, broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus can all play the role of a salad foundation every bit as brilliantly as romaine or iceberg. The payoff, as seen so vividly in this asparagus salad dish, is textural contrast: the gentle snap of the asparagus, the creaminess of the soft egg yolk, the crunch of the toasted bread crumbs. This can be a warm-up to dinner (especially if you have guests over), or a light meal on its own. Better yet, double the recipe and freeze some for a busy week. Enjoy!

Nutrition: 260 calories, 17 g fat (4 g saturated), 520 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 large eggs
1⁄2 cup homemade bread crumbs (see note)
4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make It

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with a healthy pinch of salt.
2. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender.
3. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process (which will also help preserve asparagus color).
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the whites are set but the yolks are still loose.
5. Divide the asparagus among 4 plates.
6. Top each serving with a fried egg and scatter with bread crumbs and prosciutto strips.
7. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and the vinegar and season with salt and black pepper.

Eat This Tip

Homemade Bread Crumbs

Store-bought bread crumbs are fine for coating chicken or as binding in meatballs, but to add texture and flavor to salads, soups, and pastas, make your own. Remove the crust from an old loaf of bread and tear the interior into pebble-sized pieces. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and cook the bread for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and toasted. For an extra layer of flavor, add whole cloves of garlic or fresh herbs to flavor the cooking oil.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!