Arugula Salad with Asparagus, Artichokes and Speck

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 35 min
  • Active: 35 min
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This salad combines seasonal thick asparagus spears with peppery arugula. Be sure to look for bunches of arugula here, not the clamshells of the baby version. This spring salad is colorful, crisp and slightly bitter, balanced by the addition of tender artichokes, salty Parmesan and smoky speck. It's finished with the decadent acidic sweetness of aged balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with tongs or a spider to the ice water. Once cool, remove the asparagus and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Combine the arugula, frisée, asparagus, radishes, artichokes and two-thirds of the Parmesan in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the white balsamic vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Transfer to a serving platter, spreading out the vegetables evenly.
  3. Add the speck to the salad in small piles. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and drizzle lightly with aged balsamic vinegar.