Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes
A classic caprese salad includes tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. I like to include cucumbers and red onions or shallots as well for a trifecta of color and a little bite. Coat all the tasty flavors of a tomato cucumber mozzarella a salad with balsamic vinegar and you have a little taste of summer in a bowl.
The inspiration to share my tomato cucumber mozzarella salad with balsamic vinegar recipe is the abundance of tomatoes growing in my garden. I truly don’t have a green thumb, but I’ve been fortunate that the climate and soil offset any unintentional neglect I impose upon my plants. And so, I have tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes coming up everywhere!
What You’ll Need to Make Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
- Tomatoes – Use what you have, so if you have large beefsteak tomatoes, cut them into cubes. If you have cherry tomatoes, put them in whole or cut in half. The tomatoes I’m using are the size of a golf ball, so I removed the stem and quartered them. The goal is to make the tomatoes, cucumbers, and mozzarella all the same size.
- Mozzarella – Again, use what is available and the best price. I’m using ciliegine mozzarella balls. Ciliegine is simply the size, in this case cherry. Pre-sliced slabs of mozzarella would work if you cut them into smaller pieces or use a ciliegine that comes in oil.
- Cucumber – not much to say here, just to cut the cucumber into 1/2″ slabs and then slice those into cubes, again to match the size of the cheese and toms. Peeling them is a nice alternative.
- Fresh Herbs – You can always use dry if that is what is available to you and more economical. However, I would strongly encourage using fresh basil and oregano. I have plants in my garden and try to keep smaller plants growing in doors over the winter. If I can keep herbs alive, you can too! It is night and day between dry and fresh, and fresh herbs also smell amazing.
How To Make Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
This takes minutes to throw together, and even faster if you use cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, cubed cucumbers, sliced shallots, fresh herbs into a bowl. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss together!
To prepare your basil, stack together several leaves. Roll them up and slice to create ribbons.
I think what makes this salad so good, is the variety of colors, textures, and flavors. The mozzarella is mild and soft. Tomatoes turn into something so tasty when topped with salt. Basil and oregano are fragrant and flavorful. Go easy on the shallots or onions, they add a little crunch and bite, but too much will overpower the dish.
Find A Quality Balsamic Vinegar
I really didn’t appreciate a good balsamic until I tried one. And now, I’m a balsamic vinegar snob. You only need to drizzle a little on your salad, so a bottle can go a long way if the price of a good high end balsamic is a deterrent.
A less expensive balsamic will taste like a white vinegar, really acidic and tart. A good balsamic has a deep, rich, and slightly sweet flavor. You can see the difference below, the left is a more watery cheap as they come vinegar, to the right is a syrupy, oh so worth every dime balsamic.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomato, cucumber, mozzarella salad before serving.
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
- Flexibility. This recipe is super flexible, use the tomatoes and type of mozzarella that are available to you. The key is to make the tomatoes, cucumbers, and mozzarella roughly the same size.
- Peeling. Consider peeling the cucumber before adding it to the salad. This is a personal preference, so peel or no peel the salad will be delicious.
- Oil. Try a mozzarella that comes in oil and include the oil in the salad. Likewise, drizzle olive oil in addition to the balsamic vinegar. Or whisk them together with the salt and pepper before pouring over the veggies and cheese.
- Storing Leftovers. If well sealed and refrigerated, this salad will keep for 1-2 days. Best enjoyed fresh!
Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
Equipment
- paring knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- large bowl
- large spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups tomatoes (10 ounces)
- 8 ounces Ciliegine mozzarella
- 1 cup cucumber (4 ounces)
- 1/4 cup super thin sliced shallots or red onions (1/4 ounces)
- 4 large fresh basil leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- drizzle good quality balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Tomatoes. Wash and cut tomatoes. Remove the stem and quarter. If using beefsteak or large tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces, or the same size as the ciliegine mozzarella. If using cherry tomatoes, cut in half or leave whole and add to a large bowl.2 cups tomatoes (10 ounces)
- Mozzarella. Mozzarella usually comes in oil or water. Drain the mozzarella balls and add to the bowl. If using larger pieces or slabs of mozzarella, cut into bite size pieces, about 1/2" x 1/2". Add to the bowl with the tomatoes.8 ounces Ciliegine mozzarella
- Cucumber. Wash and slice the cucumber into 1/2" thick slabs. Then, slice those into 1/2" cubes. Add the cucumbers to the tomatoes and cheese.1 cup cucumber (4 ounces)
- Shallots. Peel and very thinly slice the shallots. Add to the bowl.1/4 cup super thin sliced shallots or red onions (1/4 ounces)
- Basil. Wash and stack the basil leaves. Roll the stack and slice the roll into thin ribbons. Add the ribbons to the bowl.4 large fresh basil leaves
- Oregano. To easily remove the oregano leaves from the stems, grab the top of the stem with index finger and thumb. Starting at the top of the stem and pinching the stem lightly with the other index finger and thumb, pull along the stem to remove the leaves. Add the oregano leaves to the bowl.3 sprigs fresh oregano
- Seasoning. Add the sea salt and fresh ground pepper to the salad.1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Mix. With a large spoon, gently mix all the ingredients until evenly distributed.
- Drizzle. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over each serving before enjoying!drizzle good quality balsamic vinegar
