Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

Name: Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 10 oz. containers multi-colored or red cherry tomatoes; halved (or a 16 oz. container); 8 ounces small mozzarella balls (bocconcini); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (can substitute with regular); 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse ground sea salt; ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; ½ cup basil leaves (leave small leaves whole, tear larger leaves)

Jump to Recipe

Cherry tomatoes are in season all year round, so why not make this flavorful side dish the next time you need something versatile that goes with just about anything--steak, chicken, fish, or even just some sourdough bread. Try this cherry tomato caprese salad with this Cilantro Lime Green Chile Grilled Chicken dish for a low carb and delicious dinner.

This cherry tomato caprese salad recipe is made with your favorite Mediterranean flavors like grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and basil. Ready in about 15 minutes!

Why it's Awesome

It’s simple to make. This cherry tomato recipe is great for beginning cooks who don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If you're into quick and flavorful dishes (and I know you are) then you need this tomato salad in your bag of tricks!

It’s full of fresh Italian inspired flavor. Not only is this salad beautiful, it's also delicious! You’ll love the classic flavors of tomato and mozzarella that pair so well together.

It’s a versatile salad that goes with everything. I love serving it when we grill and sometimes I just like eating it with a big slice of sourdough bread. It's great for a light lunch or dinner.

Key Ingredients

The Italian word caprese means a salad of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil and that is exactly what this salad is.

Cherry Tomatoes - I love using cherry tomatoes in caprese salad because they are consistently ripe and sweet all year round. You can substitute with other varieties such as beefsteak or roma.

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese - It's important to use fresh cheese! This salad would not be the same with a block of part skim mozzarella. If you can't find small balls of cheese, it's okay to cut a large ball into cubes.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - A good quality extra-virgin olive oil is a pantry staple I use most everyday! It's perfect for light sautéing and making homemade dressings. Olive oil contains polyphenols, an antioxidant that's good for your heart, and may have other health benefits!

Fresh Basil - Basil's slightly peppery flavor pairs really well with tomatoes. This salad will be best with fresh basil, but I have substituted with dried.

White Balsamic Vinegar - If you don’t have white balsamic vinegar, you can substitute this for regular balsamic vinegar. The white balsamic vinegar flavor is a little less sweet than balsamic vinegar and it has a clean aftertaste.

cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olive oil dressing

Directions

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half then add them along with the mozzarella balls to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

making a salad with cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls and dressing

Pour dressing over tomatoes and mozzarella, and top with basil leaves. Toss well to combine and enjoy immediately! Add a few more basil leaves as garnish.

a large white bowl with a cherry tomato, mozzarella and basil salad

Recipe Tips

Use a variety of tomatoes. I was able to find yellow, orange, and red ones in different sizes. I like to halve and quarter the larger ones, and leave some of the smaller ones whole.

This dish is best served immediately, but will keep well for up to two hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

You may not need to use all the dressing. It will depend on how juicy your tomatoes are. I like to pour half over, toss and add more as necessary.

If you’d like to turn this recipe into a pasta salad, cook some short cut pasta. Drain and cool then add to tomato mixture.

FAQs

What should you serve with a caprese salad?

Cherry tomato, mozzarella, basil salad goes great as a side dish with a variety of main dishes. Some examples include fish, steak, chicken and some nice bread as well.

Do you cut cherry tomatoes for a salad?

I like to use a variety of cherry tomatoes with different colors to make this salad beautiful as well as delicious. For larger sizes it’s good to halve or quarter them, and leave some of the smaller ones whole for a nice variety in the salad.

How is burrata different from mozzarella?

These are both types of semi-soft Italian cheese but there is a difference between the two. Fresh mozzarella is a stringy Italian cheese made from water buffalo or cows milk. While Burrata has an outer shell made of mozzarella and is then filled with stringy curd and cream. The inside of Burrata is softer than mozzarella and very creamy and delicious.

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