Perfect for spring, this asparagus and mozzarella salad combines seasonal vegetables with creamy fresh cheese and a punchy herb dressing for lots of flavour. Easy to make, this cold asparagus salad comes together in around 30 minutes.
Love asparagus? Do check out my roast asparagus and Brussels sprouts as a spring side dish!
Asparagus season is quite short, so I always love to make the most of this tasty green vegetable! If you love it too, then you may like to see my baked asparagus risotto and broccoli asparagus pasta. Both delicious for a cosy comfort food dinner.
Much like my mango and cucumber salad, my cherry arugula salad and my stone fruit caprese salad, this asparagus mozzarella salad makes the most of fresh flavorful produce. Easy to make, it feel a little fancy for a summer lunch!
And if you're looking for other ideas for green vegetables, have a peek at my post on asparagus alternatives!
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🥬 Ingredients
This spring asparagus caprese salad is definitely rather 'green' with all the vegetables, and their flavour is brought out to perfection by a simple basil dressing. You will need:
- Asparagus: the 'star' vegetable of the dish. You can either serve the asparagus slightly warm or leave to cool completely.
- Zucchini / courgette: these go melt in the mouth soft and flavourful after being baked in the oven.
- Mozzarella cheese: creamy, light and delicious, you can either use a whole ball, or small fresh mozzarella balls.
- Arugula / rocket: for that peppery flavour that adds so much to a salad.
- Basil and parsley: along with the arugula these are the 'flavour stars' of the asparagus basil salad, and really elevate the taste. Definitely use fresh herbs not dried!
- Extra virgin olive oil: the base of the herb dressing, using extra virgin olive oil gives a delightfully rich taste.
- Apple cider vinegar: for that acidic element of the herb dressing. For those on a low histamine diet, you can opt out of using it if vinegar poses an issue for you. Apple vinegar scores 0 on the SIGHI list, while white distilled vinegar scores 0. Or omit completely.
📖 How to prepare asparagus
Asparagus just needs a couple of steps before you place on the baking tray. BBC Good Food has a good guide to preparing asparagus, and to summarise:
- Give it a good wash as you would with any vegetable.
- Snap off the woody end. Simply hold the asparagus each end and bend until it snaps. Keep the end with the flower and discard the more woody stem.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Just a few easy steps to make this roasted asparagus and mozzarella salad:
Step 1
Place the asparagus and zucchini on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast the asparagus and zucchini until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 2
Combine the ingredients for the herb dressing, stirring well.
Step 3
Add the arugula to your plate and arrange the mozzarella cheese and vegetables over it. Drizzle over the herb basil dressing and enjoy!
🌿 How to make this asparagus salad vegan
This asparagus caprese is very versatile and can either be a lunch or light dinner as it is, or a side dish. If you are vegan or dairy-free then simply leave out the mozzarella.
For those who are not on a low histamine diet you can always use a vegan cheese in place of the mozzarella. Violife does a great range of vegan cheeses. I know some who do follow a low histamine diet are able to tolerate small amounts of vegan cheese, but I haven't tried it personally as yet.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Be sure to prepare the asparagus before baking. There are tips above for how to do this.
- Serve the roasted asparagus and zucchini warm or allow to cool for a cold asparagus salad to preference.
- For those on a low histamine diet who prefer to use foods scoring 0 on the SIGHI list, swap out apple cider vinegar for white distilled vinegar or omit completely. The dressing won't have the same 'tang' but will still be tasty. Perhaps reduce the amount of olive oil and up the herbs a little for more flavour.
📋 Frequently asked questions
It can be served with warm asparagus and zucchini if you prefer, although I suggest not too hot as that could melt the cheese.
Yes, you can use something like broccoli but it may require a few more minutes of cook time depending upon how small you cut the florets.
Coriander / cilantro and thyme are both lovely in a salad!
🥗 More summer salads
Full of flavour, there are so many salads here to choose from, including my beet cucumber salad and my roast pumpkin quinoa salad. Some recent recipes to enjoy:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Asparagus and Mozzarella Salad
Ingredients
- 14 asparagus stems prepared, as above
- 1 mozzarella ball torn into small pieces
- 1 zucchini sliced
- ½ bag rocket / arugula
- handful basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
For the basil dressing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider or white distilled vinegar optional
- 2 tablespoon parsley diced
- handful basil leaves diced or torn
- ½ garlic clove optional, minced or finely diced
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Once at temperature, place the asparagus and zucchini on the tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over salt and pepper (if using). Roast for 12-15 minutes until tender. Leave to cool slightly (or completely if you prefer).
- Make the basil dressing by combining the ingredients and stirring well.
- Arrange the rocket / arugula on your plate, and scatter over the vegetables and cheese. Drizzle the herb dressing and add a few more basil leaves for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to prepare the asparagus before baking. There are tips in the main post for how to do this.
- Serve the roasted asparagus and zucchini warm or completely cold to preference.
- For those on a low histamine diet who prefer to use foods scoring 0 on the SIGHI list, swap out apple cider vinegar for white distilled vinegar or omit completely. The dressing won't have the same 'tang' but will still be tasty. Perhaps reduce the amount of olive oil and up the herbs a little for more flavour.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- apple cider vinegar and garlic, which score 1.
- rocket / arugula isn't mentioned on the SIGHI list.
Jules says
I make this at least once a week for lunch. So tasty!
Claire says
So glad you like it Jules! I wish we could get hold of asparagus for a longer season where I live!