Chicken & Asparagus Salad with Bacon

One of my all time favourite salads has to be my chicken & asparagus salad with bacon and new season Jersey Royal potatoes. This hearty salad is easy to prepare, served warm and makes a great lunch or light dinner salad main.

In the UK, both Jersey Royals and new season asparagus have a fairly short season. This time of year I try and eat them often, enjoying while I can. However, these days asparagus and new potatoes are available in our stores the year round, so you can make this salad any time.

I’ve dressed the salad with my homemade Classic French Dressing, a simple French vinaigrette that can be made in minutes using a few basic ingredients. A good vinaigrette can really lift a salad, giving it the perfect amount of seasoning, without overpowering the salad.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Making the best of spring fresh flavours with new season asparagus and Jersey Royal potatoes (although you can make this salad all year round).
• Easy to adapt recipe, feel free to swap in other veggies to suit your own tastes.
• Ready in 30 minutes making this a great light dinner option over the warm summer months.
• Gluten free and dairy free provided you serve it with my classic French dressing.

Recipe ingredients

• Chicken – I make this recipe using chicken breast or chicken mini fillets (chicken tenders) if you can find them.
• Asparagus – this salad tastes best with new season asparagus which has the best flavour. However, you can find asparagus the year round in supermarkets.
• Bacon – for the best flavour I recommend using smoked streaky bacon as I like to render down the fat in the bacon which also adds a layer of flavour into the salad.
• New potatoes – I like to add new potatoes to this salad, Jersey Royal’s being my potato of choice when they are in season. However, any new potato will work well in this salad.
• Garlic – for the best flavour I recommend using fresh crushed garlic or frozen garlic.
• Oil – I saute the chicken in a little sunflower or olive oil.
• Lettuce – I use 2 heads of little gem lettuce for serve 3-4, but any variety of lettuce will work in this salad.
• Salad dressing – my favourite salad dressing to dress this salad with is my Classic French Dressing as it doesn’t overpower the flavours in the dish. You can use any other salad dressing, homemade or store-bought.

How to make chicken asparagus salad

• Place the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water and cook till tender. Drain and set aside.
• Prepare the asparagus, leaving the flower heads whole, and slicing up the stem.

TOP TIP: No need to peel new potatoes, just wash them and cook with the skin on.

• Heat up a non-stick frying pan to medium high. Place the bacon in the pan, keep moving the bacon until you get a good colour on it, but taking care not to burn. Once crisp remove the bacon from the pan, leaving any residual fat in the pan to saute the chicken.
• Heat the oil in the pan and season the chicken with a little salt and black pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and gently brown the chicken.

• Now add the asparagus and garlic to the pan and cook for a minute.
• Add the bacon and cooked potatoes into the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the potatoes are warmed through.
• Place the lettuce into a bowl, top with the chicken, asparagus, bacon and potato mixture. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and gently toss the salad to ensure everything is coated in the vinaigrette. Serve the salad warm.

Recipe variations

• Add to the salad with other ingredients like garden peas, sugar snap peas, mange tout, radish, spring onion, tomato or cucumber.
• I’ve used my own Classic French Vinaigrette to dress the salad, but feel free to use your favourite salad dressing.
• Add a garnish of freshly chopped herbs like parsley, chives or tarragon, just before serving.

Useful hints and tips

1. Only dress the salad when ready to serve otherwise the salad leaves will wilt.
2. Seasoning: if you plan to make my salad dressing always check the seasoning once it is made. Proper seasoning will make all the difference to the finished salad.
3. Containing no gluten or dairy this salad dish is suitable for gluten free and dairy free diners.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my favourite salad main recipes:

• Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese Salad
• Peach & Burrata Salad with Candied Pecans
• Grilled Vegetables with Halloumi
• Ham Salad with Figs & Blue Cheese
• Smoked Mackerel & Beetroot Salad
• Roast Pumpkin Salad

Love salad? Then head to my Best Salad Recipes post where you will find links to all my favourite salad recipes in one place.