In-season: Coffee
Whether we sip from our morning mug of coffee for the rush of caffeine or simply to enjoy the flavor, our culture has become obsessed with coffee. It’s often referred to as “liquid gold”—mostly for br...
Breakfast Salad with Coffee Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Breakfast can get boring and repetitive. This breakfast salad brings together the flavors we love in the morning in a new and exciting way, while also being quick to assemble and easy to adapt. Fry your eggs instead of boiling, swap the pancetta with breakfast sausage, or toss in feta instead of Parmesan. These rich toppings are balanced by the tangy vinaigrette and bitter coffee.
Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons cold brew concentrate or brewed espresso
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad
4 eggs, refrigerated
4 cups spring mix salad
8 ounces diced pancetta
½ cup shaved Parmesan
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sliced
4 pieces crusty sourdough bread
Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, whisking to combine, and set aside. Heat a small saucepan of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the eggs straight from the refrigerator and set a timer for 6½ minutes. Keep the water boiling. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
While the eggs cool, cook the pancetta. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pancetta and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer it with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate. Leave the pancetta grease in the skillet and pan-fry bread until toasted, about 2 minutes per side.
Assemble the salads by placing 1 cup of the spring mix in each of 4 bowls. Divide the cooked pancetta, shaved Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes among the bowls. Peel the soft-boiled eggs, add 1 to each bowl, then slice them in half. Tear the toasted bread into bite-size pieces and add 1 piece for each bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette again to recombine and drizzle it over each salad.
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