Asparagus, Bacon & Goat Cheese Salad
Asparagus season comes but once a year, so we’re enjoying this Asparagus, Bacon & Goat Cheese Salad while we can! Paired with a striking dijon vinaigrette, this salad’s flavors will take you on a nuanced ride: fresh greens to roasted asparagus to smoky bacon to sweetish goat cheese to a punch of mustardiness-garlic spiciness. Yum!
We roast our asparagus for 5 minutes at 425, until bright green and barely tender, while we keep the bacon in the oven until super crispy. We make our dijon vinaigrette (from Taste and See) in our food processor, but you could just as easily use the old Ball jar shake-it-up method. Top with croutons for that perfect crunch on your salad. Enjoy!
Asparagus, Bacon & Goat Cheese Salad
This savory salad gives asparagus center stage during its short season.
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- 2 sheet pans
- cutting board
- chef's knife
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 pound salad greens
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 6 oz goat cheese
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1 bulb garlic 6-8 cloves
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 6 tbsp dijon mustard 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp
- 6 tbsp canola oil 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp
- 9 tbsp Greek yogurt, plain 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 2-3 cranks freshly ground pepper
Instructions
For the Roasted Asparagus
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Place sheet pan in oven to preheat.
- Trim woody ends off asparagus. Place asparagus on preheated sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Roast for 5 minutes. Check for tenderness and color. Asparagus should be bright green and barely tender.
- Remove asparagus from sheet pan to cool. Once cool, cut into 1/2" pieces. Keep tips intact.
For the Crispy Bacon
- Lower heat to 400 F. Bake bacon until crispy, draining fat and rotating bacon as needed. Once bacon is crispy, pat with paper towels and set aside to cool. Once cool, crumble into small pieces.
For Dijon Vinaigrette
- Mince garlic in food processor, or mince with chef's knife on cutting board.
- Combine the rest of the dressing ingredients, along with the garlic, in food processor. Blend until thoroughly combined.
For the Salad
- Place salad greens in large bowl. Top with asparagus, bacon crumbles and goat cheese. Drizzle dijon vinaigrette over top. Alternatively, portion out the salad mix into 6 individual bowls and divide toppings accordingly. Drizzle with dressing, top with croutons if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
If asparagus season is over and you still want to eat this salad, try a different roasted vegetable on top like carrots, sweet turnips, watermelon radishes, or any root you can think of!