Irish Pub Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs (Printable Version)
A hearty, colorful salad inspired by classic Irish pub fare with crisp greens, hard-boiled eggs, and traditional garnishes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, butter lettuce, arugula)
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup shredded carrots
06 - 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
→ Toppings
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 1 cup sharp Irish cheddar cheese, diced or shredded
09 - 1 cup cooked baby potatoes, halved
10 - 1/4 cup pickled onions
11 - 1/2 cup crusty bread, cut into cubes
→ Dressing
12 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tsp honey
16 - 1/2 tsp salt
17 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# How To Make It:
01 - Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 9 minutes. Transfer eggs to cold water, peel, and cut into halves or quarters.
02 - Boil or steam baby potatoes until fork-tender, approximately 10 minutes. Allow to cool and cut in half.
03 - In a large bowl, combine salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, carrots, and radishes.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
05 - Arrange salad mixture on a platter or individual plates. Top with hard-boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, baby potatoes, and pickled onions. Add bread cubes if desired.
06 - Drizzle vinaigrette over salad immediately before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrasting textures of crisp vegetables and creamy eggs create a surprisingly satisfying meal that leaves you feeling nourished rather than stuffed.
- You can customize it endlessly with whatever is in your refrigerator while still maintaining that distinctive Irish pub character.
02 -
- Adding the eggs to already-boiling water rather than cold water makes them infinitely easier to peel, a trick I learned after countless frustrating attempts at clean shells.
- The salad actually improves if you prepare all components separately up to a day ahead, then assemble right before serving, making this perfect for entertaining.
03 -
- If you're short on time, you can use pre-boiled eggs from the store, but take a moment to sprinkle them with flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to elevate their flavor.
- Creating a slight depression in the greens before adding the dressing prevents it from immediately running to the edges of the plate.