If you enjoy Caprese Salad, then you will flip for Roasted Asparagus Caprese Salad! It is quick and easy to make and it's filling enough to call it a meal. It is so pretty that it is also a perfect recipe when hosting guests.
Sometimes the simple meals are the best. This Roasted Asparagus Caprese Salad literally has me making happy food noises whenever I eat it. Even the teen girlies enjoy this recipe when I whip it up.
I'll make this for just me for lunch, for my daughter and friends (those girlies love their veggies) or for a crowd. This is a great brunch recipe!
It's also a great vegetarian salad recipe option when hosting. It makes for a beautiful, flavorful brunch recipe, side dish or meatless main dish recipe.
Even if it is not peak asparagus season or tomato season, this works. Roasting the veggies makes them more flavorful.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- The delicious key to this recipe is the garlic oil, which is made of avocado oil or olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Mozzarella (I like the smaller varities however any size mozzarella will work)
- Balsamic Glaze (optional but delicious)
Variations to Caprese Salad
- Adding the roasted asparagus is one delicious variation.
- You can make this even more robust by adding chicken making it a chicken caprese salad. YUM!
- OR jumbo lump crabmeat, that turns this into a crab salad showstopper!
- You can serve it alongside toasted slices of garlic rubbed toasted sourdough bread, and making little caprese bruschetta.
- Instead of the small mozzarella balls I used called ciliegine. You can use bocconcini, traditional full sized mozzarella (sliced or torn) or burrata.
- You can enjoy this hot, room temperature or cold. My favorite way is still warm from the oven.
- Choose to drizzle with balsamic glaze or leave as is.
If you enjoy asparagus, give this Best Classic Asparagus Casserole a try too!
There are a number of types of mozzarella cheese differentiated by size. The most common are. Pearls, the size of a pearl. Ciliegine is the about the size of a good sized grape and bocconcini is the size of a golf ball. Traditional mozzarella comes sliced in log form. It also comes in ball form about the size of a small woman's fist (both sliced and whole). And Burrata which is ball form however the center is not as firm as traditional mozzarella.
Caprese salad is a perfect starter, side dish or meal on its own. Serve it with served grilled chicken, fish, steak or enjoy it on its own as a vegetarian meal.
Tips
- Snap or trim you asparagus to get rid of the woody ends
- Don't skip the homemade garlic infused oil it brings great flavor to this caprese recipe.
- Asparagus size varies so cook time will vary. Same goes for taste. Some like crisp tender asparagus and some want it roasted asparagus wilted. You do you.
- Roast asparagus first, then add your tomatoes since they will cook quickly. You decide how soft you want the tomatoes to be based off when you add them.
- Add mozzarella just 3-5 minutes before pulling the pan. OR add and then turn oven off for a few minutes. All de pends on the texture you desire.
- Even if tomatoes and asparagus are not local / at their peak, no worries. Roasting these veggies deepens their flavors. This recipes is delicious all year long!
- Sometimes I add in fresh shaved Parmesan cheese to make this extra!
Reader favorite recipes to try
- Key Lime Pie Recipe - This easy recipe is foolproof and always a hit!! This pie won me a trip to the Florida Keys. True story!
- The BEST Irish Soda Bread recipe - I have spent summers in Ireland and this is how my people enjoy soda bread. It's sweeter and more cake-like.
- Homemade Salsa Recipe - This is a blender salsa (or food processor) Ready in minutes. Yu may want to drink it with a straw, lol! Try to control yourself, or not!
Hope you enjoy this recipe as well as take some time to look at some of my almost 800 recipes. Maybe you'll find a few new favorites! XO - Colleen
Asparagus Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes (or plum tomatoes, halved) or a combination of tomatoes
- 1 pint Bocconcini Mozzarella balls or whichever mozzarella variety you prefer (soo post for varieties)
- Basil
- Balsamic Glaze
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