Crunchy Breakfast Salad With Eggs

Smoothies aren't the only way to eat your greens for breakfast. A delicious morning salad can be a blank slate for eating seasonally—using heartier greens or heirloom varieties depending on what is available. This breakfast salad has a crispy texture thanks to snap peas, radishes, and cucumbers, and adding walnuts is a great way to add healthy fats to your breakfast and curb cravings later in the day.

Don't forget to add a healthy dose of high-quality protein to your breakfast salad—eggs are an excellent choice because they pack about 6 grams of protein but are relatively inexpensive. You can easily make a big batch of hard boiled eggs (or soft boiled eggs, if you prefer) and keep them in the fridge for up do three days, to grab as a quick lean snack, or for making a scrumptious egg sandwich, or this salad. If you've ever been frustrated by peeling eggs, try plunging them into an ice bath right after boiling—it makes the peeling way easier because the shell doesn't crumble as easily.

The balsamic vinaigrette used in this recipe will become your go-to for a variety of salads, because it's super easy and inexpensive to make, packs a ton of flavor, while still being lighter than most store-bought salad dressings. Simply add ingredients to a jar, close with a lid, then shake to emulsify.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:
2 large eggs
2 cups butter lettuce
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snap peas
1 small English cucumber or Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
Fresh dill

For the balsamic dressing:
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

How to Make It

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add in the eggs and boil for 10 minutes, then transfer eggs to an ice bath for 3 minutes. Peel the eggs and cut them into halves.
2. In the meantime, make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl or jar.
3. Combine the butter lettuce, radishes, snap peas, cucumber, and walnuts in a large bowl and toss with a drizzle of the dressing. Add to a plate and top with fresh dill and the egg halves.

The easy way to make healthier comfort foods