I've been in love with caprese salads for a long time now. I think that my love of them actually started some years ago when I worked as a waitress in a newly opening restaurant when I was visiting home for the summer one year from college. It was a horrific experience, but only because I am not good at the whole waitressing thing. That job takes a very skilled and specific type of person to do properly. And I am not skilled or specific to customer servicing!

It did give me an entirely new perspective though on restaurants and I have always had another level or respect for those that wait tables.

Anyway, the restaurant had a caprese salad and I felt like eating vegetarian that day; plus, I mean... I got half off meals and they had great food there so I was pretty set on trying almost everything on the menu. It was love at first bite.

I've made lots and lots of different kinds of caprese salads over my cooking life, but this one sort of takes the cake. It's become one of my new favorites.

Initially I wanted to do a caprese that showed off more of my glorious local fresh mozzarella, but... I think I bought them out over the past few weeks because there wasn't any available to purchase this week. Argh!

I had made this salad as a test run a few weeks back while my grandmother was still here. We pretty much ate lunch in silence that day because it was just so darn good! This salad is light, fresh, full of bold flavor and so easy to toss together for a quick lunch.

I sprinkled a little extra of my homemade taco seasoning over the mozzarella and the avocado, because... yum.

I used heirloom cherry/grape tomatoes here, but you could use and cherry/grape tomato that tickles your fancy. I just love the colors and flavors that come in the little variety pack that I get. You eat with your eyes first!

Skinny Mexican Style Caprese Salad
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 1 • Size: 1 Salad • Calories: 314.4 • Fat: 20.8 g • Carb: 24.8 g • Fiber: 8.2 g • Protein: 8.5 g • Sugar: 10.2 g • Sodium: 529.3 mg

Ingredients:
Salad:
2 1/2 C. Chopped Butter Lettuce
6 Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Halved or Quartered
1 Oz. Fresh Mozzarella
1/2 Avocado, Pitted & Sliced

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. Fat Free French or Catalina Style Dressing
1 Tsp. Hot Sauce (Such as Valentina.)
1/8 Tsp. Taco Seasoning

Directions:

Plate the lettuce and top with tomatoes, cheese, and avocado.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl.

Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad.

Enjoy right away!