Looking for a sensational springtime salad? Try this CAPRESE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS.

A few weeks back we posted this recipe for an ASIAN CUCUMBER SALAD, and lots of salad lovers wrote in saying how much they loved the fresh flavours and ease of preparation. That reminded me of another easy salad I’ve been wanting to share, this riff on a beloved traditional CAPRESE SALAD. Our version maintains the same tomato, mozzarella and basil notes as the Italian classic, but then the plot twist, asparagus. One bite and we know you’ll agree, this CAPRESE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS is the upgrade your tastebuds have been waiting for.

Before running through a few tips and know-how essentials, here are a few additional links for some of our most popular salads, as chosen by our salad-loving readers. If quick and easy is your jam, try this AVOCADO, CUCUMBER AND FETA SALAD, our classic CREAMY COLESLAW or an ASIAN COLESLAW version. For those with a taste for big-flavoured salads, try this CRISPY MUSHROOM SALAD or one of my faves, this WILD RICE SALAD WITH DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS. Finally, for when a salad is the meal, this COBB SALAD, our STEAK SALAD or our WEDGE SALAD will fit the bill perfectly. Yay!

Now, back to this CAPRESE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS:

INGREDIENTS

I remember the very first time I took this large wooden overlay of reclaimed barn wood and laid a bunch of ingredients out on it. At the time I thought, “It’ll be a snapshot for readers to visualize what they’ll need to make the recipe.” Years later, I’m still loving it. It’s the perfect backdrop to showcase how only 9 ingredients are needed to make this delicious fresh salad recipe. Chef hats off to the food-loving, island-living people of Capri, Italy where this salad was supposedly first created. Nice work, friends!

TOMATO AND BASIL

Now let’s do a bit of deep dive into some of the essential ingredients needed to make this famous salad. First, the fresh, ripe tomatoes. In the VIDEO attached to this recipe, I explain that you can use virtually any tomato so long as they’re fresh, juicy and sweet. We found the best tomatoes to use are San Marzano, beefsteak, Campari and heirloom tomatoes. If growing your own, try Tom-tom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and even grape tomatoes, so long as they’re sweet. We don’t recommend Roma tomatoes – they’re good for sauce but not this salad, sorry. 

The other part of the tomato comment goes to fresh basil. Remember, this tender, fragrant, flavourful herb is paired with the tomatoes in this salad to give it oomph. When looking for fresh basil leaves in-store, know that they can also be labelled as Genovese basil or sweet basil. For best results, don’t use Thai basil: too spicy.

Preparing the fresh tomatoes for this salad is easy. First, give them a quick rinse under cool running water and pat them dry. In a traditional insalata Caprese, larger slices of tomatoes are cut and then layered with mozzarella slices. Because this salad is a tossed variety, simply cut the tomatoes into wedges. For the basil, cut the leaves chiffonade-style into thin ribbons or strips. Go ahead and channel your inner “chef de garde-manger”.

BOCCONCINI CHEESE

The next key ingredient in this caprese salad recipe is mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella is a semisoft, non-aged cheese that’s high in protein and is characterized as a stretched curd. As far as cheese goes, mozzarella has a high moisture content and can be made either with cow’s milk (Mozzarella fior di latte) or water buffalo milk (Mozzarella di bufala campagna). Then, it’s often enjoyed a day or two after it’s made, soon after if kept in brine or way later if vacuum sealed. We used a brined variety called bocconcini, named so because of its size, a “small mouthful”. In the above photo, ovoline or eggs are to the left, which is what we sliced for this salad. The ones in the middle are referred to as cherry bocconcini while the ones on the right are called pearls. Use whichever size suits your purpose.

ASPARAGUS

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow between 3 and 5 feet tall. Wait, what? I’m sure many of the gardeners out there know this to be true, but for the rest of us, we identify this beloved ingredient in its very early stages of growth, when it’s no more than an 8 to 12-inch shoot. Harvesting asparagus shoots provides a delicious green vegetable that can adds loads of nutritional goodness to your diet. Asparagus is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, zinc plus is a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, potassium, copper and magnesium. Geez, that’s a lot of vitamins and minerals! For best results, look for fresh locally grown asparagus at a farmers’ market. The thinner the stem, the younger the plant making it very tender and not woody.

Preparing the asparagus for this recipe is easy. I always trim the very ends of the asparagus off as soon as I purchase them and store it standing upright in a container with an inch or two of water. This keeps the spears hydrated until use. Next is to cut the spears into bite-sized pieces. Cutting on a dais or angle, I usually get three pieces from each spear. Then transfer the pieces into a pot of cold water and leave until ready to cook. 

Wait, before continuing, how about two bonus links for all the asparagus lovers out there? Make our SMALL-BATCH PICKLED ASPARAGUS RECIPE or this CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP recipe. Delish!

HOW TO BLANCH ASPARAGUS

I’ve included a paragraph here to explain an essential step in this easy caprese salad, where we blanch or cook the asparagus before adding it in with the tomatoes, cheese and fresh basil. Blanching the asparagus involves boiling it until just tender, straining it, and immediately plunging it into cold, iced water. The ice bath at the end instantly lowers the temperature, stopping the asparagus from cooking further. This technique yields still-crunchy but tender, cooked veggies each and every time. Make sure to watch the VIDEO where I review the timing to get asparagus just right: starting them in cold water, bringing the pot to a boil and then only allowing them to cook for 30 seconds. Perfect!

LARGE SALAD BOWL

I’ve included the above image of the quartered tomatoes, sliced bocconcini cheese and a chiffonade of fresh, fragrant basil as a tribute to our Italian readers. This salad always plucks at my heartstrings, reminding me of a few memorable vacations I enjoyed in Italy where I had a Caprese salad every time. Why? It’s all about that vibrant green, white and red colour combination, just like on the Italian flag. Seeing those three colours in a large salad bowl can only mean one thing; delicious is on the way. Beauty!

TOSS

Promise me you’ll follow my instructions down below and toss the asparagus, tomato, bocconcini and basil together gently. I mean really gently. Those tomatoes will be delicate and you just want everything mixed up but not bruised or broken. Then spoon everything onto a beautiful platter or into a large, flat bowl. Again, do that transfer gently, too.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND HONEY

Traditionally a Caprese is served where the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil are drizzled with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil and then finished with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That’s it. But then, somewhere down the line, a chef thought to add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Fine. Then someone thought to add honey to the balsamic and did a balsamic reduction. Now we have a sweetened balsamic glaze. I guess these little tweaks to the original are what got me first thinking about adding asparagus into the mix. The takeaway; make this recipe your own. The above photo shows all the options. From olive oil and balsamic vinegar to honey, truffle honey, hot honey and an aged balsamic, any and all will work. Dress this CAPRESE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS to your liking.

BALSAMIC GLAZE

For our version, I decided to mix aged balsamic with an equal amount of honey. This stellar combination adds a pleasing tanginess to the asparagus and tomatoes while also brightening the flavour of the mozzarella. I also thinks it pops with the basil, black pepper and crunchy sea salt flakes. Some of you might be wondering about that bottle of prepared store-bought balsamic glaze you’ve already got in the cupboard or pantry. Yes, you can use it, although the trick here is about flavour. Whisking up your own glaze using an almost syrupy aged balsamic will take the flavour of this very tasty salad dish from simple to amazing. Trust me!

SERVE

OK, so we gently transferred the veggie, cheese and herb mix to a serving platter or bowl. Next as drizzle of a very good quality olive oil. I used an extra virgin olive oil because I find it blends better with the balsamic and seasoning. After drizzling the oil and honey-balsamic glaze, add a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. If you have extra, tuck basil sprigs on the top as garnish. Then, serve. Fair warning! Be prepared for lots of “ohs” and “has” and compliments.

Although you can enjoy this CAPRESE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS as an appetizer, a simple lunch dish or a light meal served with warmed pita bread or slices of SOURDOUGH, I recommend pairing it with other sides and salads along with a favourite main. It’s especially delicious with ROASTED CHICKEN, these GRILLED LAMB CHOPS or our BREADED PORK CHOPS. 

This fresh salad idea is so easy and delicious, we suggest you PIN the recipe to a favourite salad or side dish board on PINTEREST or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make them too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the delicious dishes you’re making these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!

Enjoy the springtime flavour of this CAPRESE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS. Yum!

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