Butternut Caprese Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Fans of butternut squash will love this fall twist on the classic Caprese Salad.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes, roasted
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 ripe avocado cubed or sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella cubed
- 1/4 cup basil leaves chopped or torn
HOT BACON DRESSING
- 4 - 6 bacon slices coarsely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
TO ROAST SQUASH
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Toss cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 20 – 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
TO MAKE DRESSING
- Saute bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from heat, reserving bacon and 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Let stand 1 minute.
- Add vinegar and oil, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Drizzle warm bacon mixture over salad. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Most grocery stores sell butternut squash already cubed which cuts down on prep time and saves you the challenging step of peeling and cutting your butternut squash.
- Adjust quantities to taste. Butternut squash may be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to assemble. Wait and cut avocado right before serving salad to prevent avocado from turning brown.