This light and super tasty tomato, basil & mozzarella salad is the perfect dish to serve for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer. It takes minutes to put together and uses flavorful Italian ingredients like basil, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar.
Contents
⭐ Why This Recipe Works
What can I say, it's easy, tastes fantastic and looks brilliant!
Everyone down right loves this recipe and can't stop talking about it. Kids love it, teenagers love it, grandparents love it, and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't.
This beautiful Caprese salad is one of the most famous salads from Italy and without a doubt one of the most delicious. It combines fresh ingredients like fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, and sweet cherry tomatoes. It's heavenly irresistible.
It's so simple to make, literally anyone can make it with just a bowl and a spoon to mix it all together. The colors make the entire dish picturesque, and in ways similar to my bruschetta, which is easily the best appetizer. And also why not have a full collection of best toppings salad.
Four reasons to love tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad:
- Easy to prepare - There are 5 ingredients needed to mix in a bowl which takes less than 10 minutes.
- Taste - The fresh mozzarella balls combined with the crunchy fresh tomatoes balance perfectly with the balsamic glaze and chopped basil.
- Healthy - Caprese salad is full of good nutrients, and it's low in calories
- Affordable - Feed a family of 4 for less than $10
🍽 Ingredient Notes
Fresh ingredients: mozzarella balls and basil should be as fresh as possible for maximum flavor, especially the basil. The greener the basil leaves, the better.
Cherry tomatoes: Get them from your local grocery store if possible and choose the ripest available. When in season, garden cherry tomatoes are out of this world!
Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic is essential for the final flavor and adds a tangy sweetness that combines with the other ingredients.
Seasonings: Use himalayan salt & freshly ground black pepper to bring out the flavor in tomatoes and Italian seasoning for a mixture of herbs.
Substitutions
Like all good recipes, the ingredients are changeable for like-for-like substitutions.
Tomatoes
Plum tomatoes are a suitable replacement for cherry tomatoes, although they are dryer and not as sweet. If you want to use plum tomatoes, cut them into 4ths or 6ths if they are big.
Balsamic glaze
Suppose you can't get your hands on balsamic vinegar. In that case, you can make your own substitution by mixing 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar with either 2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup.
🔪 How to Make
This fresh tomato and mozzarella salad is the perfect appetizer before the main meal or a side dish. Learn how to make it below with my easy-to-follow instructions and helpful tips. It's as simple as mixing everything in a bowl and serving!
Preparations
Step1
Grab a chopping and coarsely chop the fresh basil leaves. The best way to do this is by laying the leaves on top of each other, rolling them up, and slicing them into strips.
Step 2
Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
Step 3
Finely dice the garlic clove.
Instructions
Step 4
In a medium bowl add the chopped cherry tomatoes and start adding the following ingredients:
Step 5
Fresh mozzarella balls.
Step 6
Dice garlic and add to small mixing bowl with salt and Italian seasoning.
Step 7
Add fresh chopped basil leaves.
Step 8
Mix in the bowl with the balsamic vinegar until well combined.
Spoon and serve.
Recipe Tips
- You can keep this Caprese salad fresh and crunchy for longer to make it in advance by mixing the ingredients without the balsamic dressing and then drizzling it over the salad before serving.
- Use fresh cherry tomatoes for a crunchier texture rather than soft ones.
- For a thicker glaze, whisk 3 tablespoons of honey with balsamic vinegar. The honey will gently thicken the balsamic glaze as you whisk.
📖 Recipe Variations
This simple tomato mozzarella salad recipe can be transformed into two delicious variations using the same ingredients.
Classic caprese salad
The classic-style Caprese salad uses layers of thinly sliced buffalo mozzarella and thinly sliced round tomatoes with a drizzle of balsamic dressing.
Layer one tomato, then one mozzarella slice, and repeat. Drizzle the balsamic and top with basil leaves.
Tomato & mozzarella salad with pesto dressing
This version uses a vibrant pesto sauce instead of a balsamic dressing mixed with bite-sized mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes, topped with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
🥗 What to Serve With
Tomato & mozzarella salad is best used as a light side dish because it's not very filling on its own. It pairs well with my easy tiramisu as a dessert and also with my delicious crispy homemade baked beef empanadas recipe.
Chicken
One of my go-to chicken recipes is this crispy zesty chicken piccata served with a lemon and capers dressing. It's super flavorful, just like the tomato & mozzarella salad.
Another chicken recipe that pairs well with the tomato salad is the delicious lemon & basil chicken.
Fish
A grilled salmon fillet or tuna steak is also worth serving as a main meal with a simple salad to keep everything light on the stomach. If you're into tuna, then you may be interested in this irresistible seared tuna with lemon capers salsa.
Pasta
Italians love the combination of pasta and Caprese salad. It keeps the flavors balanced by using similar ingredients for the starter and main course, like this creamy tomato & basil pasta dish.
Bruschetta
Slice a baguette and toast for a crunchy flavor. Place this tomato mozzarella basil salad on top and enjoy it as a quick snack. And when it comes to appetizers, try my bruschetta with mozzarella for the best bruschetta ever.
And if you are looking for a green side dish I recommend you to check my easy broccoli salad recipe.
Looking for dessert? This tomato mozzarella salad pair fantastic with my frozen strawberry crunch cake as a dessert. Perfect to enjoy in warm weather with family! Kids love it.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between plum and cherry tomatoes?
Plum tomatoes are oval in shape, whereas cherry tomatoes are spherical and resemble cherries. Cherry tomatoes are sweeter than plum tomatoes, although they are a good substitute if you can't get your hands on the cherry variety.
What's the difference between Caprese and bruschetta?
While both use similar ingredients, the bruschetta uses a mixture of tomato and fresh basil leaves on crispy toasted bread. The Caprese salad is a mixture of basil, tomato & mozzarella salad with a dressing of balsamic or pesto.
Is Caprese salad healthy?
Yes, the combination of tomatoes and basil provides vitamins and magnesium. The antioxidants and essential oils found in basil also help prevent cancer and work as an anti-inflammatory, while the natural olive oil is good for the heart.
🧊 Storing
Tomato & mozzarella salad is great for eating the next day as the flavors infuse.
In the Fridge
Transfer any leftover salad to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bear in mind that the tomatoes will become softer day by day but still edible.
Alternatively, you can mix a bunch of mozzarella, cherry tomato halves, and chopped basil in an airtight container, and when you want to eat the mixture, drizzle over the balsamic dressing to keep the tomatoes crunchy.
🍅 Related Tomato Recipes
Have extra tomatoes on hand? Try these fantastic tomato recipes including my tomato bisque recipe!
For more Italian recipes inspiration I recommend you to try my bruschetta with mozzarella, pizza monkey bread, four cheese manicotti and my stuffed rigatoni!
👪 Serving Size
This tomato & mozzarella salad recipe will give you 4 healthy servings. I usually double or triple the quantity, as my family loves it, and we eat it for breakfast and lunch the following days.
It's simple, it's delicious, and it's very healthy for you! So spare 10 minutes and toss a few ingredients together to put some smiles on people's faces - I PROMISE they will love it!
This tomato mozzarella salad pair fanstastic with some refreshing summer cocktails.
Love this side dish recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort side dish recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes - halved
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls - BelGioioso
- 1 clove garlic - diced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons basil - chopped
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt - sea salt or Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Wash and slice each cherry tomato into halves.
- Add cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls to small mixing bowl.
- Dice the garlic clove and add it to mixing bowl with salt and Italian seasoning.
- Add fresh chopped basil leaves.
- Mix in the bowl with the balsamic vinegar until well combined.
- Spoon and serve.
Notes
- You can keep this Caprese salad fresh and crunchy for longer to make it in advance by mixing the ingredients without the balsamic dressing and then drizzling it over the salad before serving.
- Use fresh cherry tomatoes for a crunchier texture rather than soft ones.
- For a thicker glaze, whisk 3 tablespoons of honey with balsamic vinegar. The honey will gently thicken the balsamic glaze as you whisk.
Jerkyholic
Great recipe! My mom used to make a version of this for backyard BBQ's that tasted just like this one. It's easy to make and tastes so fresh and 'cooling' during a summer cookout. I linked this as a great side dish to my smoked burger recipe. Thanks! -Will