Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

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 easy appetizer or side dish ideas, try this easy guacamole, homemade hummus or red potato salad.

❤️ 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.