This Polonaise Asparagus Salad is a beautiful addition to any spring occasion. With sweet asparagus, crunchy breadcrumbs, tender eggs, and salty capers and prosciutto, this beautiful and decadent salad is an elegant way to prepare and enjoy asparagus.
No matter how you prepare it asparagus is an elegant vegetable. With a buttery sweet yet earthy flavor, this unique salad recipe is a bright addition to any table and our polonaise asparagus salad is no exception. Traditionally used on vegetables, polonaise is a topping technique meaning "to top with crumbs," and can turn any vegetable into something special. This salad is something special.
Included as a blog favorite in our cookbook, Eat With Us, our Polonaise Asparagus Salad layers sautéed asparagus, buttery breadcrumbs, boiled eggs, fresh parsley, and bunched prosciutto for the ultimate fun and fresh spring recipe perfect for occasions such as Easter, Mother's Day or an easy brunch idea.
Why You’ll Love This Asparagus Salad Recipe
- It's beautiful: We're firm believers that we eat with our eyes first and this asparagus salad recipe is a sight for sore eyes. With pops of pastels including green, yellow, and pink, this spring recipe is a beautiful addition to any table.
- It's sensory: Sweet asparagus, salty prosciutto, crunchy breadcrumbs, tender eggs, and a splash of zingy lemon juice, this dish hits all the texture and flavor notes that a salad should have in a single bite.
Serve our Polonaise Asparagus Salad with our One-Pot Gnocchi with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Basil, Broccoli and Cheese Quiche with Feta and Lemon, or Spicy Deviled Eggs with Jalapeño and Bacon.
Ingredient List
- Asparagus: tender, bright green asparagus, as fresh as possible.
- Eggs: large or extra large, as fresh as possible
- Parsley: use freshly chopped parsley. Dry will not work.
- Bread: rustic bread, sourdough if available.
- Butter: use salted butter.
- Olive oil: extra virgin, the best quality available to you.
- Lemon: fresh lemon. The zest and juice is used.
- Prosciutto: sliced as thin as possible, get the best quality available to you.
- Capers: salty, savory, and flavor-packed, capers can be found in the pickle section of your grocery store.
- Salt and pepper: kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Asparagus: Polonaise can be served over many warmed vegetables, fish, chicken, or pasta.
- Herbs: Additional herbs that can be included in the polonaise sauce are dill, tarragon, or sorrel.
- Vegetarian: Omit the prosciutto to make this recipe vegetarian.
Recipe Steps: How to Make Polonaise Asparagus Salad
1. Boil and Chop the Eggs.
Place the eggs in a single layer of water and bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat. Let the eggs stand in the water for about 8-9 minutes, then immediately put them under cold water, or in an ice bath. Crack your eggs and let them cool. Roughly chop your eggs into small chunks and toss with of the parsley in a small mixing bowl.
2. Sauté the asparagus.
Warm the butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat, until bubbling. Add the asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes, until bright and tender. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a large plate or serving platter.
3. Pan-fry the breadcrumbs.
Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining butter, bread, capers, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown and crispy, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining parsley and Transfer to the bowl of eggs. Gently toss with lemon juice
4. Assemble the asparagus salad.
Arrange the polonaise sauce over the asparagus. Arrange prosciutto on top and season with pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle with capers.
Chef's Tips
How to trim asparagus: To trim asparagus, you can either break the stems at their natural break point, where the woody section naturally snaps off, or line them up and cut about an inch off the bottom for a clean cut. If desired, you can also peel the thicker stalks to make them more tender.
How to peel hard-boiled eggs: Once cooked, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water or run them under cold water to stop the cooking process and make them easier to peel.
Recipe FAQs
Polonaise sauce is a classic Polish topping for vegetables, made by toasting breadcrumbs in butter and mixing them with chopped hard-boiled eggs and herbs like parsley or dill. The sauce adds a crunchy, buttery flavor to dishes like cauliflower and asparagus.
Polonaise sauce is typically served over vegetables like cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, and Brussels sprouts.
Yes, Polonaise sauce can be made in advance. Store the toasted breadcrumbs and chopped eggs separately, then combine and reheat with butter before serving.
Store leftover Polonaise sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan before using.
Craving More Unique Salad Recipes?
Did you make this Polonaise Asparagus Salad? Please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let us know what you loved about it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for
Recipe Card
Polonaise Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
Polonaise Sauce
- 2 hard boiled eggs shelled and finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup butter salted
- 3 slices bread chopped in small cubes
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Pan Roasted Aspargus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon butter salted
- 1 bunch asparagus bottoms trimmed (300g)
- 2 oz prosciutto
- 1 tablespoon capers
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a single layer of water and bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat. Let the eggs stand in the water for about 8-9 minutes, then immediately put them under cold water, or in an ice bath. Crack your eggs and let them cool. Roughly chop your eggs into small chunks and toss with of the parsley in a small mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, warm the butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat, until bubbling. Add the asparagus and sauté for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to turn the aspargus, until bright and tender. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a large plate or serving platter.
- Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter, bread, capers, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown and crispy, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining parsley and Transfer to the bowl of eggs. Gently toss with lemon juice.
- Arrange the polonaise sauce over the asparagus. Arrange prosciutto on top and season with pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle with capers.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Additional Information
Karoline S. says
I made this for my family last weekend and everyone loved it. It was more filling than a regular salad and the prosciutto was the perfect compliment to asparagus.
Chef Sous Chef says
We're so glad you were able to share the recipe with your family. That's what cooking is all about!