Asparagus Bacon Caprese Salad

Asparagus Bacon Caprese Salad is a delicious salad for any meal. Crispy bacon, tender asparagus and roasted tomatoes are mixed with fresh mozzarella and topped with a balsamic glaze.

When those skinny stalks of asparagus appear in the grocery store, I know spring is finally on the way. I've yet to find a way to serve asparagus that I dislike, but this salad has quickly become one of my favorites. Coming together in just 15 minutes, it's a great addition to any entrée.

What makes something caprese? Caprese salad, which is believed to have originated in Capri, Italy is made with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Olive oil, salt and pepper make up the dressing. In this version, the asparagus and tomatoes are cooked in olive oil and the salad is dressed with balsamic glaze, salt and pepper.

🥘 Ingredients for this recipe

• fresh asparagus
• cherry or grape tomatoes
• mozzarella pearls
• fresh basil
• olive oil
• balsamic glaze
• salt and pepper

🔪Instructions for this recipe

• First, rinse and trim the ends of your asparagus. Gently rinse the spears and chop off the woody ends. Then add a little olive oil to a skillet and cook the asparagus for a few minutes until tender crisp.
• Then sear the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until they're softened.
• Next, assemble the salad. Transfer asparagus and tomatoes to a bowl. Top with chopped bacon, mozzarella pearls and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle balsamic glaze on top.

More ways to cook this salad

• Grilling: grill asparagus and tomatoes until tender, then add the rest of the ingredients.
• Roasted: roast asparagus and tomatoes at 425 for 6-20 minutes until softened and then top with remaining ingredients.
• Air Fryer: Air fry asparagus at 375 for 4 minutes. Add in tomatoes and air fry another 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and top with remaining ingredients.
• Blanched: boil water and add asparagus for 5 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath. Once cooled, assemble salad with remaining ingredients.

Serving Suggestions

This Asparagus Bacon Caprese Salad could easily serve as a main dish for one, but if you're serving it as a side dish it goes great with just about anything; like my Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Butter-Chive Pasta and Arugula Salad (skip the salad), or Indiana Pork Tenderloin Sandwich or even an Italian Cold Cut Sandwich.

FAQ's for this salad

• Is Caprese Salad good for you? The ingredients fall under typical Mediterranean diets which can have been linked to reducing cardiac events like a heart attack.
• Can you use balsamic vinegar instead of balsamic glaze? Yes, the vinegar will be stronger in flavor because a glaze is vinegar that has been cooked down with a sweetener (brown sugar, honey, etc.) until it's thickened.

Improv Cooking Challenge

The Improv Cooking Challenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned and bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it includes those ingredients. If you're a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page, or if you'd like to see previous recipes we've made, please visit our Pinterest page.

April's ingredients are tomatoes and balsamic. Check out what the other bloggers have made:

• Stuffed Caprese Chicken by Making Miracles
• Tomato and Balsamic Pasta by Sneha’s Recipe
• Tomato Tart with Balsamic Glaze by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Balsamic Braised Chicken Breasts by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Whole Wheat Sun-dried Tomato Pasta and a Salad by Magical Ingredients
• Asparagus Bacon Caprese Salad By Cookaholic Wife

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