Asparagus Salad with Bacon and Butter Lettuce

This raw salad is a great way to use those tiny asparagus spears that can go limp when cooked. The anchovy fillets add a savory (not fishy) note to the Caesar-like dressing, which tastes good on anything from hard-boiled eggs to roasted vegetables to grilled steak.

Ingredients

For the salad dressing:

  • ¼ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped

For the salad:

  • 1 pound thin fresh asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 4–8 butter lettuce leaves
  • 4 slices Applegate Naturals ® Sunday Bacon ® Brand, cooked

Instructions

To make the salad dressing:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, anchovies, garlic and lemon juice.
  2. While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
  3. Season to taste with pepper. Stir in the parsley.

To make the salad:

  1. Add the asparagus, scallions and mint to the dressing and toss until the vegetables are well coated with the dressing.
  2. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Top with the asparagus mixture. 
  3. Crumble the bacon over the salad and serve at once.