Simple Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
This cherry tomato caprese salad has all the flavors of your traditional caprese salad made cute and miniature with colorful cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, fresh basil leaves, and seasoned with a little salt and flavorful olive oil.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 144kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups ripe cherry tomatoes washed and halved
- 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves gently torn by hand
- 3 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano optional
Instructions
- Place the halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and torn fresh basil leaves into a large serving bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the ingredients, sprinkle the salt over evenly, and add the oregano if using. Toss it all together to coat the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil in the salt and olive oil.
- For the best flavor, let rest for 15-30 minutes so the flavors can mingle and the ingredients can warm up slightly.
- Serve as an appetizer or snack.
Notes
Tips for the Best Caprese Salad
- Room temperature mozzarella only! It has the best flavor and texture, according to my friend's nonna. After making the salad, let it rest for up to 30 minutes before serving to shake the fridge chill off.
- Fresh mozzarella only. Buffalo mozzarella has the best flavor, but it can be hard to find in some places so use the best fresh mozz you can.
- Never use canned tomatoes. Caprese must have fresh, ripe tomatoes!
Variations
- Fresh red onion for some crunch and spice.
- Parm instead of mozzarella. I'm only relaying the message, some people really enjoy caprese with shards of parmigiano reggiano instead of creamy mozz.
- Adding a little oregano for flavor. Don't add a ton, it can overpower the other ingredients. I like adding it, but it is optional.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 260mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g