This Mozzarella Tomato Basil Salad recipe is a quick 4 ingredient caprese salad or appetizer for summer. Ready to serve in less than 10 minutes! Now that's a fresh and easy recipe, perfect for hot summer days.
I love the look and ease of layering the fresh basil leaves, but you could easily chop it or cut into slivers (chiffonade) and sprinkle over the top.
Whatever is easiest for you!
Because I grow my own tomatoes and basil in my garden, it's easy to grab fresh ingredients and quickly assemble this tomato mozzarella salad! But you can easily pick up some juicy tomatoes and fresh basil at your grocery store or farmers market.
Either way, this is a super easy salad that combines the subtle sweetness of tomatoes with creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil, and tangy balsamic glaze for a plate that's bursting with fresh flavor!
For a marinated tomato mozzarella salad, first drizzle the salad with a flavored olive oil or simple vinaigrette a few hours to a day before layering them between the basil leaves.
I recommend holding off drizzling the balsamic glaze until right before serving.
Need a beautiful lunch salad? Arrange some grilled or rotisserie chicken in the center of the salad.
For individual appetizers similar to these flavors, try my Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers recipe.
Shortcuts
- Buy bottled balsamic glaze at the supermarket in the same aisle as the salad dressings to cut down on prep time and avoid having to make one from scratch.
- You can buy fresh mozzarella logs that come already sliced!
Ingredients
What you will need to make this mozzarella cheese and tomato salad:
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Fresh mozzarella - Logs or rolls of fresh mozzarella are best for this easy caprese salad, but in a pinch, you could slice an 8 ounce block of whole milk mozzarella.
- Basil - If you don't grow your own basil, you can buy potted plants both in your grocery store produce section and local hardware store. The grocery store also sells it already picked and packed but the leaves turn dark fairly quickly.
- Roma tomatoes - Ideal for any Italian-inspired dish, this variety of tomato is great for this caprese salad thanks to its perfect size and holds up well to layering.
- Balsamic glaze - You can make your own, but I prefer to pick up a bottle of balsamic glaze from my grocery store to make this recipe quick and easy.
How to make this fresh tomato mozzarella salad
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
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- Arrange tomato slices, mozzarella, and basil leaves on a serving platter. Alternate between each ingredient until you've used up everything.
- Optional: Drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil or olive oil vinaigrette.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve your mozzarella basil tomato salad right away.
Pro Tips
Roma tomatoes are my go-to tomato for this tomato mozzarella salad since they're the perfect size to match the mozzarella rounds and they are more "meaty" with fewer seeds and less juice.
Substitutions & Variations
Trade "this" for "that" in this fresh mozzarella and tomato salad recipe.
- Balsamic glaze - While I think the balsamic balances out the other ingredients and adds a nice little tang, you could omit it or replace it with a little bit of olive oil drizzle or a balsamic vinaigrette instead.
- Basil - If you can't find fresh basil sprigs, maybe drizzle with some bottled pesto which is also made with basil.
- Avocado Tomato and Mozzarella Salad - For an even heartier dish, layer in some slices of fresh avocado.
- Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad- For a bit of a crunch and additional fresh flavor, add some cucumber slices to the layers. I love English cucumbers and grow them in my garden because you don't have to peel the thin skins.
- Seasoning - Add an extra pop of flavor with a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Helpful Information
This Italian dish is usually made with mozzarella, tomato, and basil, and often includes a drizzle of either olive oil or balsamic glaze. The colors of the ingredients mirror the colors of the Italian flag.
Yes, you can assemble your caprese salad up to a day or so ahead of time. Hold off on adding the balsamic until just before it's time to serve.
What to serve with tomato mozzarella salad
- Corn Avocado Tomato Salad
- Garlic Butter Cruffins with Crescent Roll Dough
- Dutch Oven Artisan Bread
- Shortcut Grilled Chicken Pizza
How to store
- To Store: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container. Enjoy this tomato mozzarella salad within a day or two of assembling.
- To Freeze: It's best not to freeze your caprese salad, as tomatoes and mozzarella don't freeze and thaw all that well.
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Want more shortcut appetizer recipes?
Mozzarella Tomato Basil Salad
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Ingredients
- 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch-thick
- 12 basil leaves
- 1 (8 ounce) log fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼-inch-thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil vinaigrette (optional)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze such as Bertolli
Instructions
- Layer tomato slices, basil leaves, and mozzarella slices on a platter, alternating each one as you arrange it on the platter.
- If you like, drizzle with an olive oil vinaigrette or even simply extra virgin olive oil. (optional)
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze right before serving.
Notes
- Balsamic glaze can be found in your supermarket on the salad dressing and vinegar aisle.
- Roma tomatoes are the perfect size and shape for this salad because they slice up to be the same size as the mozzarella.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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