Asparagus Salad

1 kg fresh asparagus, trimmed & cut to 2 cm
⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup chopped sweet orange pepper
¼ cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp rice bran oil
3 tbsp SIDS RASPBERRY VINEGAR
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
3 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
3 tbsp chopped cooked bacon or bacon bits

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cm. of water to a boil. Add asparagus, cover and boil for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl then add onion, pepper and cranberries.
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, SIDS RASPBERRY VINEGAR, lemon juice, mustard, SIDS SALT & PEPPER then shake well. Pour over asparagus mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in almonds and bacon.
Tips: It's important to cool the asparagus immediately after cooking - otherwise it continues to cook and gets soft and mushy.
If you need to make the salad more than a day ahead of time, don't add the dressing. Keep separate in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Toss the two together an hour before you're ready to serve.
In order to keep asparagus fresh longer, place the cut stems in a container of cold water-similar to flowers in a vase. Place container in the refrigerator, changing the water at least once every 2 days.
When buying asparagus, look for firm, straight, uniform-size spears. The tips should be closed and dry.