This easy cherry tomato salad comes together in just minutes, and pops with fresh summer flavors! It's the perfect side salad, appetizer or delicious anytime snack.
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I love my local farmers market.
I love the simple beauty of the produce, and the imperfections.
All of those beautiful and unique differences from vegetable to vegetable.
I also love seeing the crops change as the weeks change, and I love that this reminds me to be more mindful of eating seasonally.
Today I am inspired by these amazing little organic orange cherry tomatoes. 🙂
Earlier this spring I bought some starter herbs from the same farm for our little balcony garden, and the basil is thriving.
So...basically a match made in Caprese salad heaven here.
If you love Caprese salad recipes as much as I do and want to make this mini Caprese salad into more of a meal, you definitely have to try this Caprese chopped salad (I make it all the time for a light summer meal!)
And for other delicious appetizer or side dish ideas, try this easy guacamole, homemade hummus or these deviled eggs with dill pickles.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Takes just 10 minutes to make!
- Great way to use fresh seasonal tomatoes and basil
- Makes an awesome protein-packed snack
- Works well for meal prep lunches
- Kid-friendly and very highly approved!
🌿 Ingredients
The ingredients are super minimal for this easy salad, and all should be readily available at a large grocery store. Bonus points if you grow or pick them yourself!
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
The best part about this salad is its simplicity. It's so easy to throw together on a warm summer day, even at the last minute.
The only real prep required is to wash and halve your cherry tomatoes, halve the baby mozzarella balls, and slice the basil into thin ribbons.
Pro tip: Here's a quick and easy way to slice your basil. First, roll all of the leaves together lengthwise. Then, make slices all down the roll which become long ribbons. That's it!
And finally, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in mixing bowl and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over everything. Sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on top to taste.
📋 Substitutions
As written, this Caprese salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten free. Feel free to make any of the following substitutions depending on what you have on hand.
- Baby mozzarella balls - use a larger ball of mozzarella instead, and just slice it up
- Cherry tomatoes - use grape tomatoes instead, or slice Campari or vine-ripened tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes
- Fresh basil - fresh is best, but you can use a little dried basil in a pinch; alternatively, use fresh oregano or cilantro in place of fresh basil
- Olive oil - there really isn't a good substitute for fresh olive oil, but you could leave out if necessary
- Balsamic vinegar - balsamic glaze also works great!
🔪 Equipment
You'll need the following equipment to make this recipe:
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Large mixing bowl
🍱 Storage
Caprese salad is best when consumed immediately once you add the olive oil and vinegar, but you could refrigerate it for up to 24 hours if necessary. For meal prep dishes, drizzle the dressing ingredients just before you eat.
🎉 Top tip
This simple Caprese salad really pops when you use the freshest seasonal cherry tomatoes you can get your hands on, whether they're from your own garden or a local farm. Don't refrigerate them first; instead, make this salad when you get them home and enjoy all of their seasonal goodness.
💭 FAQ
The best cherry tomatoes for Caprese are fresh, ripe, firm and locally grown if possible. If you buy them from the grocery store, you can look for varieties such as Sungold or Angel Sweet. Grape tomatoes also work if you can't find cherry tomatoes.
Grape tomatoes tend to be more oblong in shape vs round like cherry tomatoes, and typically have a firmer texture with less sweetness than cherry tomatoes.
You can prep the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in advance, but it's best to assemble everything and drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad just before consuming.
Yes; balsamic vinegar and balsamic glaze are both great options for a Caprese salad. The benefits of balsamic glaze are a bit of extra sweetness as well as the ability to more artistically drizzle it over your salad creations.
🍳 Recipe
Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep: Wash and halve cherry tomatoes, and halve mozzarella balls. Roll basil leaves together vertically and then make thin slices across the roll so that you end up with basil ribbons.
- Combine: Place tomatoes, basil and mozzarella into a large mixing bowl and stir gently to combine.
- Drizzle: Drizzle everything with olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately and enjoy!
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