This asparagus salad was inspired by an article in a recent issue of Cook’s Illustrated. The article was about getting the perfect soft-boiled egg by actually “steaming” it rather than boiling it. I have now tried the steaming method several times and each time have ended up with “perfect” soft-boiled eggs – cooked whites and creamy yolks. SO good!
Now that I have all of these soft-boiled eggs, what do I do with them all? The article suggested serving one over steamed asparagus drizzled with olive oil. I tried it, and it was excellent, but I wanted more. So by adding just a couple more ingredients, I came up with this delicious salad that can be served by itself, as a side, or a starter for a meal. If you’re vegetarian, just omit the meat. It’s a great salad with or without it. If you can’t find chorizo, then use bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon on a salad?!
Asparagus, Chorizo and a Soft-Boiled Egg Recipe
Serves 2
Cook and Prep time: less than 30 minutes
Ingredients
½ pound asparagus, trim off the tough ends of the stalks and discard
~¼ pound Mexican chorizo, cooked and crumbled (See Kitchen Notes)
2 soft-boiled eggs
dried oregano (optional)
olive oil (garlic-infused oil works great)
Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Steaming the eggs – To a small sauce pan (big enough to hold 2 to 4 eggs), add about ½” of water. Bring to a boil. Carefully place the eggs in the pan, reduce heat for a simmer, cover and set the timer for 6 ½ minutes. When the timer goes off, immediately drain the water from the pan and run cold water over the eggs. Let cool for a minute or two.
- Peeling the eggs – Because they are soft-boiled, you need to be extra careful when peeling. Gently tap the wide end of the egg on the counter to crack. Carefully start removing the shell and the membrane under the shell. If the membrane won’t separate from the egg, hold the egg under a slow stream of water while you peel. The water will be drawn under the membrane, helping to separate the membrane and shell from the egg.
- Cooking the chorizo – Crumble the chorizo in a skillet (preferably the same skillet you plan to use for the asparagus). Cook over medium low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until done, but not dry. Remove from skillet, cover and set aside.
- Cooking the asparagus – Steam the asparagus in a steamer is you have one. If you don’t have an asparagus steamer, then add “a little” water to the bottom of a skillet large enough to hold the asparagus.* Bring to a boil, add the asparagus and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes until the asparagus is crispy tender. Drain and run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Assembling the salad - Divide the asparagus between 2 plates. Drizzle with olive oil and top with half the chorizo. Cut the eggs in half and place on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dusting of crumbled dried oregano.
- Enjoy!
*If you use the same skillet that was used to cook the chorizo, then you get to take advantage of the spices and flavors stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
Kitchen Notes
The chorizo – I now make my own Mexican chorizo which is really easy. If you buy it and can only find links, then remove the casing and crumble the sausage into the skillet. One link is approximately ¼ pound which is all you need for two (2) salads.
Other protein options – This salad is great with any type of spicy meat. We’ve had it with crispy bacon and crispy salami. Any spicy sausage would work. If you are vegetarian, just omit the meat or substitute with fried tofu or a sharp, smokey cheese. In fact, for one salad I just added some Pecorino Romano and no meat and a dusting of smoked paprika. It was fabulous!
The asparagus - We like our asparagus crisp tender. You can cook it using any method you want – steamed, grilled or roasted. Since I don’t have a steamer, I skillet steam, covered, with a little bit of simmering water.
The eggs – If you don’t want to soft-boil (or steam) them, a fried egg or poached egg would work as well. Just make sure you don’t overcook it. You want the yolk runny so that it creates a sauce for the dish.
The oregano – You can use any herb or spice that you want or just omit it altogether. I like oregano with chorizo, tarragon with bacon and salami, and a touch of smoked paprika with cheese.
The basic salad of asparagus and soft-boiled egg is so simple that it offers many variations. Every time I change it up, we feel like we’re eating a completely different dish. So just have fun and enjoy!
This asparagus, chorizo and egg dish has been shared with Foodie Friday, Katherine Martinelli’s Asparagus Hop .
Oh! I have so many ideas for these soft-boiled eggs! I love to top some of my veggie dishes with a fried egg, but this would be so much better. Love, love, love this. Thanks so much for sharing, MJ!
Thanks Susan! I usually use fried eggs, but now that I’ve learned this method for soft-boiled, I’ll probably use more of them on veggies and pasta dishes.
Great salad! I’ve read about steaming soft-boiled eggs, but haven’t tried it yet. Looks like something I absolutely need to do. This is a great alternative to poached eggs for salads (my usual). Love the flavor of the chorizo with this! Although I never have a problem saying no to bacon.
Really good recipe, good pictures, good post – thanks!
Thanks John! You really need to try the eggs. It’s a life changing event.
So much easier than poached and the 6.5 minutes is perfect! Bacon is great with this!
I love that plate specially those perfeclty cooked eggs
This is mouthwatering! I have to try the steamed eggs for the perfect runny yolk!
Love the egg steaming technique. Will have to save this for asparagus season ( truly the first sign of spring).
Thanks Debra! I saw the first of the asparagus at the market and just couldn’t resist!
Oh, mine! These soft-boiled eggs are just perfect!
I’d love to eat them!
Simple heaven… there is nothing more complete and basic than an egg meal. Love this.
MJ, I saw that same article, but hadn’t tried it yet — we really like soft boiled eggs too! The idea of putting it over asparagus is wonderful, Holindaise-esque and the sausage is a great add-in too.
Thanks Judy! It was a great article and the final method is quite perfect! I love your “hoindaise-esque”.
That egg looks perfect for my tastes, MJ, and would go very well on a number of salads. A warm yolk spilling over a salad adds a nice, rich touch. I just prepared asparagus last night for dinner and I can’t help but think that I missed out on a real treat. That will teach me to get so far behind in my blog reading! Thanks for sharing a great technique and recipe.
Thanks John! Since we’re at the beginning of asparagus season, you’ll have plenty of chances to give this a try. I know we’ll be having it over and over again!
Hi MJ,
This looks beautiful! Your presentation is superb! Absolutely love this!
Peach Lady those soft boiled eggs are perfect! Oops, time for my breakfast
Wow.. that egg is simply amazing. I have not had a soft boiled egg in forever. What a beautiful meal. Have a wonderful weekend my friend.
Yummy dish! The soft boiled egg looks so delicious! Lovely snaps!
I think I saw that article, yours looks just like it stepped off the pages of Cooks Illustrated! I love the idea of steamed eggs and yours turned out just perfectly runny.. and lovely over this salad! xx
Thanks Barbara! It was a great article and lead to this delicious salad!
I love the look of that soft yolk drizzling over the asparagus!
I use a different methode to get soft boiled eggs but it doesn’t always work. I will try your way for sure the next time I am in the mood for soft boiled eggs
Thanks Sawsan! I have used this method at least a half a dozen times now and it’s been perfect each time! Hope it works for you!
This looks delicious MJ! Perfect dish for a spring brunch. I love the bright colored yolk on that egg! Have a great weekend!
Thanks Tessa! The eggs I use are free range and have flax in their diet. I don’t think I could find any better eggs and they are SO gorgeous cooked!
Hi MJ – love the addition of chorizo to egg and asparagus, super brunch idea!
Your egg couldn’t be more perfect, so photogenic!
LL
Thanks Lori Lynn! The yellow of the yolk and beautiful green asparagus sure made the salad to photograph.
My mouth is watering so much right now, and it’s almost bed time here. I have never heard of the steaming method. Thanks so much for sharing it, I’m going to try it this week. Can’t wait for asparagus season to arrive. Great photos MJ!
Thanks Nancy! You can’t even tell that the asparagus is undercooked – something I learned from your book.
I was so exciting to see the asparagus in the market this early. Spring is just around the corner.
Absolutely beautiful MJ – that egg…! The last few times I tried creating a soft-boiled egg for use in a salad I had relatively good results, even though I was boiling it. The place where I come unstuck is peeling the darn thing though! It’s nigh impossible for me to get the peel off and manage to keep the egg intact, haha
. I had great success once by plunging the eggs into freezing cold water after cooking (simply running under cold water doesn’t seem to work as well I think). The only problem is, I only did it once because it’s a hassle to get a bowl, water, ice-cubes and the like ready just for a couple of eggs!
Thanks Charles! The eggs I get are really, really fresh making them hard to peel. The plunging in cold water doesn’t work for me, but the running water method does. It doesn’t have to be cold. In fact, I use warm water. Just be sure to hold the egg with the peeled portion toward the water. That way the water can migrate under the shell. Works great for me. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
The combination of ingredients is so refreshing just from photos
Great job!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’m a sucker for a runny egg picture. That looks so good!
I do exactly that – with the running water, too. I crack the bottom of the egg, where the air pocket is, and the running water helps to separate the membrane. And with fiddly little eggs like quails egg you can cover them in malt vinegar and it will soften the shell to make it easier.
I’ve recently been handmaking large batches of free range scotch eggs, so I have to be able to get the shells off quickly.
Thanks Tim! I’ve tried many methods for peeling eggs, but for those really fresh eggs, the running water method does work best! Now I have to go look up scotch eggs.
I was going to make this before I commented, but I haven’t made it to the store for the asparagus yet. It looks good and I would probably never have tried an egg with asparagus, but I’m most excited about a sure-fire way to get a perfect soft boiled egg. Soft boiled and poached are my favorites, but the most difficult to get right, I find. So, this morning I soft boiled an egg for breakfast and it cooked perfectly. Because I only did one I shortened the cooking time by half a minute. I didn’t let the egg warm up to room temperature before I cooked it so it was a mess peeling it, but what the heck. That didn’t affect the taste and perfect texture of the yolk. Do you remember the story Daddy told about when he was in the Air Force and one morning he and his buddies were eating breakfast at a diner when the guy at the next table was making a scene with the waitress about his yolks being broken. On the third try she finally brought out eggs that were to his satisfaction. Daddy and his friends got up and went over to the guy’s table and stood in front of it staring at him. When the guy asked them what they were doing, they said they wanted to watch him eat the eggs without breaking the yolks. I always remember this story when my eggs aren’t picture-perfect and just laugh and eat them. After they’re gone no one remembers that they weren’t impeccable anyway.
Thanks Nads! Hopefully, you’ve made this by now. I know you guys will love it with the chorizo or some bacon. I never let eggs warm up to room temp. They go straight from the fridge to the pot. Did you do the running water method to peel your egg? It works every time for me. You just need to peel slow. Glad you liked the egg!! No, I don’t remember Daddy’s story, but that’s not surprising. You always have remembered more than me.
Have a great great Sis!
This really does look like a perfectly cooked egg. I mostly poach (boil) eggs and this steaming method is such a great idea to switch it up for a softer result. I make eggs for the boys lunches frequently so I’m going to try this next time. Love the spring inspired asparagus (I’m always hopeful
) and the chorizo is a delicious mix-in – adding taste and interest. Very yummy MJ.
Thanks Kelly! I’ve never had any luck with poaching unless I cheat and use a poaching pan.
So our eggs are usually fried or scrambled. Not anymore! I was thrilled when I saw the asparagus at the market. Spring has sprung! Yea!!!
MJ, I’m dying of jealousy… Such beautiful spring colours! I have to wait at least two months before I can see first signs of asparagus here…. I love asparagus with egg: fried or soft boiled, they seem to be made for each other. And of course I often add fried bacon to egg salads, so I’m sure your chorizo version tastes heavenly and the egg is so perfectly cooked… it invites one to dip the asparagus into the yolk.
I usually practice the 3-6-9 minutes trick to cook eggs, but your steaming method sounds most intriguing. Now that I read your instructions, I think the only difference is that I don’t cover the pan. I must do this and see the difference. I’m intrigued.
Thanks Sissi! That is one of the advantages of living in the southwest US – Spring starts early and fall ends late. I love it! This was my first experience with egg and asparagus and we loved it! With the chorizo or bacon, it’s a complete meal for us. Let me know what difference you see between boiling and steaming. My boiling was never very consistent, but steaming – so far – has been extremely consistent!
I have never been able to master soft boiled eggs… I will try the steaming method! They do look so good!
Thanks Jane! The same is true for me. Never very good at boiled eggs. This steaming method makes me feel like a pro.
Asparagus and eggs is such a classic combination, I love the addition of chorizo though, to spice things up a bit!
Thanks Gourmatine! The chorizo definitely spices it up.
Beautiful salad, MJ and what a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. I could easily become addicted to those, too! Such a pretty plate of food….and a perfect lunch! Glad to have learned your method for steaming those eggs….thanks for sharing that tip! : )
Thanks Anne! We’ve had this for lunch 4 times in the past 2 weeks. We obviously love it!
soft-boiled egg is very versatile and I don’t think I could last three days without them!
I’m horrible at boiling eggs, so I’m going to have to try the steam method. This salad looks so fresh and delicious.
Thanks Jennie! This steam method has worked every time for me! Hope it works for you.
What a gorgeous breakfast! I have never soft boiled an egg, seems like I have to try it now.
Thanks Dara! Oh – you really should try soft-boiled! What a delicate way to eat an egg.
Your egg looks perfect and absolutely delicious. I just love the taste of the creamy yoke over fresh asparagus! Yum!
Such a simple meal and you made it look absolutely gourmet.
Soft boiled egg looks delicious. it is really classic meal.
I used to hate asparagus because I didn’t like their looks, really stupid of me ha! Now I love them and this salad is right up my alley!
Thanks Katerina! Now that’s funny that you don’t like a food because of how it looks.
I grew up eating asparagus from a can, so it was not until I had fresh asparagus did I learn to love it. Hope you enjoy the salad!
I can’t find chorizo here, so I’ll use bacon. I loved those asparagus spears and that perfectly boiled egg. Oh, I am hungry again!
Thanks Purabi! It’s just as good with bacon! I hope you enjoy it.
We have a friend who gives us fresh eggs every week. This sounds like a terrific recipe for using some of them.
Perfect! You can’t beat fresh eggs with this salad! I get mine from my SIL’s friend each week so we’re in egg heaven.
Thanks for the comments Karen!
What more could I ask for for? You have the perfectly steamed egg, my favorite veggie which is asparagus, and of course my other favorite veggie — bacon! Okay I’ll add a little chorizo for the meat just like what you did. Haha! You’ve got some nice plating there my friend. I’m sure Bobby enjoyed this meal. Hope you’re having a fun week, MJ!
Your salad looks amazing and so flavorful! What a great tip regarding soft-cooking an egg–thank you.
Can’t wait for the asparagus season. One more month and one of the first spring signs will be on my plate. Really nice recipe. I love aspargus with runny eggs. Just simple like that. I will add some chorizo next time
.
I love that you added chorizo. This will add extra layer of flavors to already delicious egg/asparagus dish! When I was young (I mean a small kid), I didn’t like runny egg. I don’t know why but now I crave for it and try to find any opportunity to put runny egg on top of food, whether it’s veggie like this or rice or noodles…. so good!! Your cooking time for this runny egg is very similar. Mine is 6.5 minute! Look how perfect yours is!
Thanks Nami! I was the same way – when I was a kid, the yolk had to be cooked. It’s interesting how our tastes change. Now I really do not like a cooked yolk at all, but I can’t resist a runny one!
Oh I just love how the yolk is still moist and soft and spills out of the egg white. Gosh, this is a perfect breakfast! YUuuMMmmmm
Mj, That looks like a fabulous salad. I can totally see myself serving this as an appy even at a dinner party. It’s just gorgeous. I’ll have to try this new technique. New to me that is!
Interesting recipes, good pictures, very tasty resemble the Mediterranean cuisine which we do in Spain.
We invite you to visit my blog from Spain, with traditional recipes from the State of
Valencia.
http://valenciagastronomic.blogspot.com.es
This week ” traditional Easter bread ” and the coming week ” traditional recipes of easter of Alicante “, going to lose?
In my blog you can find a translator to your language
I was thinking about what to do with my asparagus for Easter… interesting idea. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us on foodie friday.
I want to lick my screen
I just love this dish, and I can imagine all the flavors.
Is it weird I never thought to soft boil an egg before? I love soft yolks, but it just always seemed like a boiled egg should be hard. I’ll have to give it a try now. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday
That egg looks so perfectly delicious!