Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Caprese Salad Recipe
A fresh and vibrant Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Caprese Salad combining diced tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, mini mozzarella balls, and a flavorful garlic olive oil dressing, finished with fresh basil for a delightful and easy-to-make summer salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 3 cups tomatoes, diced (about 4 larger tomatoes)
- 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 8 ounces mini mozzarella balls, drained and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Dressing
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Wash and cut the ends off the cucumbers. Slice horizontally and then quarter before dicing into small pieces. Dice the red onion finely using a proper technique for uniform small pieces. Wash tomatoes, cut in half, remove watery centers, and dice into small cubes.
- Make the dressing: Peel the garlic clove and mince using a cheese grater or finely chop it. In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper until combined.
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, mini mozzarella balls, and chopped fresh basil.
- Add the dressing: Pour the prepared garlic olive oil dressing over the salad ingredients.
- Mix and serve: Toss the salad gently ensuring all components are evenly coated with dressing. Serve immediately for the best freshness and flavor.
Notes
- For added heartiness, toss in 3 cups of cooked pasta like bow tie, macaroni, or fusilli noodles to make it a filling pasta salad.
- Add 2 ripe but slightly firm avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced, for a creamy texture contrast.
- You can substitute the dressing with champagne vinaigrette or Italian dressing for different flavor profiles.
- Swap red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar for a sweeter balsamic vinaigrette variation.
- Mini mozzarella balls can be replaced with burrata cheese torn into small pieces for a creamier texture.
- Consume the salad within 1-2 days for optimal freshness and flavor.
Keywords: Caprese Salad, Tomato Cucumber Salad, Mozzarella Salad, Italian Salad, Fresh Salad, Easy Salad Recipe, Healthy Salad
