I used to make this egg and asparagus salad with canned asparagus when I lived in South Africa and this is my UK version made with freshly steamed asparagus. Total game changer!
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Asparagus and egg salad
This egg and asparagus salad was one of my favourite side dishes to serve whenever we had a braai (BBQ / barbeque / cookout to the rest of the world) when I lived in South Africa. It was so easy to make and tasted so delicious.
It was basically an ‘open-the-can-and-serve’ type of salad, and ready in literally 2 minutes. Just open a can of asparagus, drain, mix with chopped hard-boiled egg and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper and voila! Salad done.
I’ve oomphed it up slightly to use fresh asparagus, and oh my goodness! The fresh asparagus is a game-changer! This egg and asparagus salad is absolutely to die for!
Apart from serving this asparagus and egg salad as a side dish with a barbeque, you can also serve it as a light main meal with cold chicken or ham, crusty bread, slices of avocado and a fresh green salad.
What I found when making egg and asparagus salad with canned asparagus was that it drew water, and became very runny the day after, and it had to be thrown out. However, making this salad with fresh asparagus means that it holds its texture so you can store leftovers in the refrigerator and serve it again the next day.
And a ham sandwich spread with a helping of leftover egg and asparagus makes the perfect breakfast or lunchtime snack!
Have you got a couple of spare minutes? Let me show you how to make it.
What you will need
Equipment
Not too much. An electric steamer or one of those foldable steamer baskets that you can put in a saucepan for steaming the asparagus, a saucepan for boiling the eggs and a small serving dish to serve it in!
Ingredients
This will make sufficient for 4 people.
Fresh asparagus – the ends of the asparagus should be trimmed to remove any woody bits. There is no need to peel the asparagus unless the ends are very thick and fibrous, in which case you may like to peel the ends.
Hard-boiled eggs – I brought the eggs to the boil in a pan of cold water and let them boil for 6 minutes, then poured off the boiling water and covered the eggs with cold water.
Mayonnaise – you can use your favourite store-bought brand, or make your own mayonnaise.
Salt and pepper (not pictured) – you will need a small pinch of salt and a good grinding of black peppercorns.
What to do
Chop the trimmed asparagus into approximately 2-inch lengths and steam it gently for 3 minutes until it is just tender. Do not let it overcook or the salad will be mushy. If you don’t have a steamer you can boil the asparagus for 2 minutes instead. Cool the asparagus in a bowl of cold water and then drain thoroughly.
Transfer the asparagus to a mixing bowl, and add the sliced hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise. Season lightly with salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
Mix gently to combine and serve as a side dish, either chilled or at room temperature. Optionally garnish the salad with additional slices of egg and asparagus.
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Egg and asparagus salad FAQ
You will need 2 eggs for every 8 ounces or 225 grams of asparagus. Add the stated amount of mayonnaise, then mix in extra mayonnaise until everything is well-coated. Season with salt and pepper to your own taste. Note – it may not be necessary to double the mayonnaise.
Provided you make egg and asparagus salad with fresh asparagus you can assemble the salad the day before you want to eat it and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. You can serve it chilled or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Yes, this delicious salad will complement any picnic. Provided it has been made with fresh asparagus (rather than canned) it should transport well. If you intend to use canned asparagus, I would recommend taking all the ingredients separately (in a cooler box) and mixing them together at your picnic site.
You can keep leftovers in the refrigerator and eat them the next day.
Yes you can, but you must ensure that you drain the canned asparagus thoroughly. Egg and asparagus salad made with canned asparagus will draw water so you should not make it in advance, but rather assemble it just before you are ready to eat. Discard any leftovers – they will be too watery to enjoy the following day.
Sliced avocado makes a nice addition to this salad, but if you are adding avocado do not make the salad in advance. Sliced avocado has a tendency to turn brown if not eaten fresh.
Save for later
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Other recipes
If you enjoyed this egg and asparagus salad you may like to try some of these salads too:
- Quick and easy garlic mushrooms – the combination of garlic, herbs and butter makes these mushrooms rich, delicious and satisfying.
- Spicy beetroot salad – homemade beetroot salad in a spicy vinaigrette dressing.
- Curried green bean salad – green beans and onions cooked in a tangy curry-flavoured sauce – perfect for a barbeque side dish.
- Copper penny salad – otherwise known as sweet and sour carrot salad.
- Orzo pasta summer salad – chopped mushrooms, gherkins and German sausages mixed with tender orzo pasta in a creamy mayonnaise dressing.
- Roasted red pepper pasta salad with prawns – make it with the prawns and you have a delicious light meal; leave out the prawns and you have a delightfully fresh-tasting pasta salad.
The recipe
Egg and asparagus salad
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces / 225 grams fresh asparagus spears
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs
- ½ cup / 120 ml mayonnaise
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the eggs for 6 minutes then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow the eggs to cool then peel and slice them.2 large hard-boiled eggs
- Meanwhile, trim the asparagus spears and cut them into 2" lengths.8 ounces / 225 grams fresh asparagus spears
- Steam the asparagus for 3 minutes until it is just tender. Do not overcook or it will become mushy. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process, then drain thoroughly.
- Transfer the asparagus to a mixing bowl, and add the sliced hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise. Season lightly with salt and a good grinding of black pepper.½ cup / 120 ml mayonnaise, Salt to taste, Ground black pepper to taste
- Mix gently to combine and serve as a side dish, either chilled or at room temperature. Optionally garnish the salad with additional slices of egg and asparagus.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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