This vibrant avocado raspberry salad with soft-boiled eggs comes with a sweet and subtle raspberry vinaigrette. Fancy yet simple to make, it makes a beautiful starter or side. The recipe comes in two versions: with soft-boiled eggs or with poached eggs.
Salad season is here, and there’s always room for another salad recipe. With just a bunch of ingredients tossed together, you can make a light and frugal salad everyone loves. It’s all about the choice of ingredients of course, but also the vinaigrette or dressing.
Here’s an elegant and fancy salad in which roasted Brussels sprouts, avocado and raspberries are tossed together with a wonderful raspberry vinaigrette. Add a delicious soft-boiled egg on top and you’ve got it all. And for those of you who prefer a runny yolk, I’m also sharing my foolproof technique to make poached egg. Serve with a side of baguette!
What goes into this avocado raspberry salad?
- Mixed salad. Spring mix works great, or you can make your own mix (lettuce, arugula, kale, baby spinach, shaved Brussels sprouts, green or red cabbage, etc.). I also like to add some herbs, such as cilantro, dill, mint… whatever you have at hands.
- Brussels sprouts. Choose them on the smaller side preferably, and cut them in half. The salad can be made with or without the Brussels sprouts, depending on the season and your personal tastes.
- Avocado. Choose them ripe, and either slice or dice them.
- Raspberries. They add a pop of color and a boost of vitamin in your salad. Use them fresh for the salad, fresh or frozen for the vinaigrette.
- Eggs. Choose them carefully (check the date), depending on the cooking method you choose, soft-boiled or poached (see more details below).
- Pumpkin seeds and cranberries. You can play with seeds and add some other seeds too (sunflower seeds, pine nuts, etc.), or skip the cranberries if desired.
How to make the perfect soft-boiled egg?
Soft-boiled eggs versus hard-boiled eggs. In this recipe I suggest soft-boiled eggs instead of hard-boiled eggs. So what’s the difference between them? Hard-boiled eggs are cooked so that the egg white and egg yolk both solidify, while for a soft-boiled egg the yolk, and sometimes the white, remain at least partially liquid.
How to choose eggs for making soft-boiled eggs. To crack them easier, the key is to use at least one week old eggs. Indeed, as eggs age, they gradually loose moisture through the pore in their shell and become easier to peel.
To make soft-boiled eggs, carefully place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Set the pan over medium-high heat and as soon as the water reaches a brisk simmer, start timing, cooking the eggs for 4-5 minutes maximum. Crack the shell gently, cut in half and place over the salad. The white must be solid while the yolk is still runny.
The poached eggs version (how to make poached eggs)
This salad also works with poached eggs (with a perfect runny yolk) instead of soft-boiled eggs (thicker white sides and half-runny yolk inside). Poached eggs often seem fussy to make, but they’re easier than you think.
To make the perfect poached egg, the only ingredient you need is an egg (no vinegar, salt or anything else). The secret is the use of a stainless steel sieve. It will hep you get rid of the extra white that is always responsible of the white running away when cooking poached eggs. By gently tipping the egg in almost simmering water, you will end up with a lovely white covered egg with no effort. Just swirl for a few seconds with a spoon to make sure that the white covers the yolk all around.
A subtle and homemade raspberry vinaigrette
This avocado raspberry salad with soft-boiled eggs wouldn’t be complete without the homemade raspberry vinaigrette. You can choose either frozen or fresh raspberries (I prefer using frozen raspberries for the vinaigrette and keep the fresh ones whole in the salad).
With its vibrant pink color, this raspberry vinaigrette is loaded with sweet and sharp flavors. It’s also packed with vitamin C. Make it ahead of time and store it up to a week in the refrigerator.
Quick seasonal variation
When Brussels sprouts are not in season anymore, simply make this salad with sautéed zucchini instead. Equally delicious and easy to prepare!
More refreshing salad recipes:
- Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing
- Spring Pea Salad with Goat Cheese
- Strawberry Burrata Salad with Mint Pesto
- Green Goddess Quinoa Salad
- Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
Avocado Raspberry Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegetarian
This vibrant avocado raspberry salad with soft-boiled eggs comes with a sweet and subtle raspberry vinaigrette. Fancy yet simple to make, it makes a beautiful starter or side.
Ingredients
For the raspberry vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup (40g) raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salad:
- 2–3 cups (150-230g) mixed salad*
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 handful Brussels sprouts (about 8–10 pieces), washed and cut in half
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 handful dried cranberries
- 1 handful pumpkin seeds
- ⅔ cup (80g) fresh raspberries
Instructions
- For the raspberry vinaigrette. Place the raspberries in a food processor and blend until smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the blended raspberries over a bowl to get rid of the seeds and put the raspberry mixture back to the food processor. Add the shallots, mustard, vinegar and olive oil, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.**
- For the Brussels sprouts. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the Brussels sprouts and sauté for about 5-7 minutes depending on size, or until tender and slightly golden on all sides.
- Make the soft-boiled eggs (or poached eggs***). Gently place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Set the pan over medium-high heat and as soon as the water reaches a brisk simmer, start timing, cooking the eggs for 4-5 minutes maximum. Carefully remove the eggs from water, crack the shell gently, and cut then in half. The white must be solid while the yolk is still runny.
- Add the salad in a large mixing bowl together with the roasted Brussels sprouts, raspberries, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Toss with about half of the raspberry vinaigrette (keep some for serving).
- Divide the salad into shallow plates, add the soft-boiled eggs on top, the avocado slices, and pour some raspberry vinaigrette over the salad before serving. Enjoy immediately. Bon appétit!
Notes
* Lettuce, arugula, kale, baby spinach, any type will do. You can even add some thinly sliced white or red cabbage. For extra flavors, I like to add some chopped cilantro as well.
** This vinaigrette will keep refrigerated for one week. Whisk to remix the vinaigrette before using.
*** To make poached eggs, bring a medium pot of water to a simmer, then reduce heat until it is barely quivering. Carefully break 1 egg into a small bowl, then tip into a fine mesh strainer. Carefully swirl egg around strainer, using your finger to rub off any excess loose egg whites that drop through. Gently tip egg into almost simmering water. Swirl gently with a wooden spoon for 10 seconds, just until egg begins to set. Repeat straining and tipping with remaining eggs. Cook, swirling occasionally, until egg whites are fully set but yolks are still soft, about 3 to 4 minutes maximum. Carefully lift eggs from pot with a slotted spoon and place them onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Recipe by Del’s cooking twist | Photography by Athina Canevet Studio
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Avocado Raspberry Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Petite cuillère et Charentaises
Ta salade est tout simple superbe et elle doit être délicieuse ! Je note ton idée de vinaigrette à la framboise, c’est un fruit que j’adore 🙂
Bises
Gabrielle
Delphine Fortin
Oui la vinaigrette à la framboise ajoute définitivement un petit plus qui transforme cette salade toute simple en un plat élégant et savoureux. Je recommande 🙂
Aude
J’aime la simplicité, elle m’accompagne tous les jours avec les plats que je me prépare et impossible de ne pas manger des salades dans la semaine. J’essaye de suivre les saisons même si ce n’est pas toujours facile. La présence d’avocat est quasi inévitable mais j’avoue ne jamais mettre de graines de courge, ce n’est l’envie qui me manque.
Ta salade est superbe Delphine 🙂
Delphine Fortin
Je suis exactement comme toi Aude 🙂 Et pour les graines de courge, il est parfaitement possible de les remplacer par des amandes (source de magnésium, de calcium…) de temps à autre, ce que je fais moi même très souvent d’ailleurs. Bises!
jean-louis
Ça m’a l’air d’être une pure merveille ! Hop dans mes favoris
Delphine Fortin
J’en suis ravie, merci 🙂