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:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, anchovies, garlic and lemon juice.
- While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
- Season to taste with pepper. Stir in the parsley.
To make the salad:
- Add the asparagus, scallions and mint to the dressing and toss until the vegetables are well coated with the dressing.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Top with the asparagus mixture.
- Crumble the bacon over the salad and serve at once.
To make the salad dressing:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, anchovies, garlic and lemon juice.
- While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
- Season to taste with pepper. Stir in the parsley.
To make the salad:
- Add the asparagus, scallions and mint to the dressing and toss until the vegetables are well coated with the dressing.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Top with the asparagus mixture.
- Crumble the bacon over the salad and serve at once.