Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

This easy cherry tomato caprese salad takes less than 30 minutes to make! Packed with fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar. This dish really shines in the summer, when tomatoes are in season and the MOST flavorful and delicious. It's perfect for that light summer meal or appetizer!

What is Caprese Salad?

Caprese salad is an Italian dish highlighting classic Italian ingredients. Fresh tomatoes, olive oil, basil, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar come together to create a fresh, bright, and vibrant dish. It originated in Italy in the 1920's (you can read more about its history here) and has remained a delicious and timeless dish.

How To Make Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

The beauty of caprese salad is its simplicity. A few ingredients combined with tomatoes yield a dish packed with flavors.

• Simply slice and salt some tomatoes, then toss with a good olive oil.
• Cube some mozzarella, toss it with the tomatoes, and finish with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and torn basil leaves. I like to top it with a balsamic glaze.
• Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to marinate.

Ingredients Needed for this Caprese Salad

• Tomatoes: I prefer using cherry tomatoes, as they retain their shape better and tend to be sweeter. This creates more of a salad as opposed to traditional sliced tomatoes. You can use whatever you have on hand though - heirloom varieties during the summer are heavenly!
• Mozzarella: I use a ball of mozzarella and cube it, but you can use mozzarella pearls if you wish.
• Olive Oil: A good olive oil goes a long way with this dish.
• Balsamic Vinegar: I use traditional dark balsamic, but some people prefer to use white balsamic to retain the color of the tomatoes -- you do you. It adds an essential tangy component to this dish, so don't skip it.
• Balsamic Glaze: is a sweet reduction of balsamic vinegar. It adds some sweetness to balance out the dish, and looks beautiful as a garnish.
• Basil: this is an essential part of the dish! Some tear it, some slice it into ribbons. It adds a nice color and wonderful taste that ties the dish together!

Can Caprese Salad Be Made Ahead of Time?

This dish tastes best when served right away. It can be made the night before to be served the next day, and it will last a whole day. I personally have never had any leftovers when serving it. My best guess is that it would still be good the following day as leftovers, but not much longer after that.

Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

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This easy cherry tomato caprese salad takes less than 30 minutes to make! Packed with fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar, it's the perfect light summer meal or appetizer.

 

• Author: Emily Marrs
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Refridgerate
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

 

• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes - washed & sliced in half

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• 8oz mozzarella ball - cubed

• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• Large handful of fresh basil leaves - sliced/torn - save a few whole leaves for garnish

• 1-2 teaspoons balsamic glaze - I use store bought

• Kosher salt

 

For Serving:

• Toasty bread - for serving

Instructions

1. Add cherry tomatoes bowl with 1T olive oil. Lightly salt, and then mix.

2. Add tomatoes to a serving plate.

3. Sprinkle mozzarella cubes on the plate.

4. Generously drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella.

5. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar onto tomatoes and mozzarella. 

6. Lightly salt dish to taste.

7. Tear or slice basil into ribbons, saving a few whole leaves for garnish. 

8. Top dish with a balsamic glaze drizzle. (You can use honey/ agave if you don't have balsamic glaze but want the sweetness).

9. If possible, let the dish rest in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to marinate. 

10. Serve with toasty bread. Best served fresh or within a day.

Notes

Best served right away. Will last for a day.

Feel free to sub vegan mozzarella for regular mozzarella.

Keywords: cherry tomato caprese salad, caprese salad, appetizer