If you love a classic Caprese salad but want something more substantial, you will love this 15-minute chopped Caprese salad with lettuce greens. It serves two as a light meal (or four as a side), perfect for summer dinners or entertaining.
Every year as it gets closer to summer I count down the days until I can find perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes at my local farmers market. Of course, you don't have to wait for summer (this salad is delicious any time of the year!) But if you can get your hands on some just-picked cherry tomatoes for this recipe, I highly recommend it.
This Caprese salad idea was actually inspired by my cherry tomato Caprese salad recipe, which is just a simplified version without the greens. I make both of these often (also these Caprese skewers or this vegan Caprese whenever appetizers call!) Can you tell I'm a bit obsessed with Caprese salads? 😉 The great thing about a chopped salad, though, is that it can easily be a light lunch or dinner on a warm day.
🌿 Ingredients
The ingredients you'll want to focus on here are the mozzarella, tomato and basil. Feel free to use baby mozzarella balls or a larger ball, and any kind of tomatoes if you don't have cherry tomatoes. I like to use balsamic glaze since it's so easy to drizzle, but balsamic vinegar works too if you can't find glaze.
Here are a few substitution notes in case you need them:
- Mixed greens - substitute any kind of greens, baby spinach, or chopped Romaine or red or green leaf lettuce
- Red onion - use white or yellow onion instead
- Cucumber - I love using an English cucumber for this salad but regular cucumbers are fine as well, or you can substitute sliced green or yellow pepper instead
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
🥧 Serving suggestions
If you're keeping things light, this chopped Caprese salad pairs perfectly with some crusty Italian bread or sourdough. On cooler days, you could also pair it with a cup of butternut squash soup or minestrone. And for more of a main meal salad, you could add some grilled chicken or white beans on top of the salad.
💭 FAQ
Any fresh mozzarella can be used for a Caprese salad recipe, including baby mozzarella balls or larger balls of mozzarella (note that shredded mozzarella cheese for pizza is not the same and doesn't work in Caprese salads.)
It is highly recommended to use fresh basil if you can find it since it's an integral part of the fresh flavor profile of Caprese salads, but in a pinch you could substitute a little dried basil instead.
🍳 Recipe
Chopped Caprese Salad (with Lettuce & Fresh Basil)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash and dry the salad greens and other vegetables, and slice the red onion, cucumber and basil. Halve the mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.5 ounces mixed greens, ¼ red onion, ½ large cucumber, ½ bunch basil, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup mozzarella balls
- Pour the greens out on a serving platter or into a large bowl. Top them with the cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil and then drizzle the olive oil and balsamic glaze over everything.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- Serve immediately, season with black pepper if desired, and enjoy!freshly ground black pepper
Nutrition
Video
Notes
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