Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
This Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad is one of my favorite salads with basil vinaigrette, and this is tasty and extra easy to make! And you can get good cherry tomatoes before the garden tomatoes are ripe, so this salad is great when it’s not quite garden tomato season!
PIN Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad to try it later!
For my Friday Favorites pick this week, I’m reminding you about this Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad that’s a perfect way to get those summer flavors when it’s not quite garden tomato season yet. This easy salad includes my favorite Basil Vinaigrette, which is something I start making as soon as those big basil plants show up in the store and I think it tastes good on just about everything you’d want to eat in the summer.
And this Caprese salad made with cherry tomatoes is so easy that if you already have Basil Vinaigrette in the fridge you don’t really need me to give you a recipe. But I enjoyed this so much I decided it was still worth sharing, especially to share the idea for people who don’t have garden tomatoes yet but might have good cherry tomatoes at their store.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- red cherry tomatoes
- yellow cherry tomatoes
- fresh mozzarella
- Basil Vinaigrette
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
What is Caprese Salad?
Wikipedia defines Caprese Salad as “a simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh Mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil.” And classic Caprese Salad recipes like that are found all over the web. This salad with cherry tomatoes is a fun variation on that classic recipe that uses my favorite Basil Vinaigrette dressing and little balls of fresh Mozzarella to create those Caprese Salad flavors.
Do you need two colors of tomatoes for the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad?
You don’t have to use a combination of red and yellow tomatoes, but I thought that made it look pretty, and this salad had the combination of easy but amazing that I love! And if you see them in your store, I’d also love this salad made with those multi-color heirloom cherry tomatoes that show up in the summer.
How low in carbs is the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad?
This amazing version of Caprese Salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls, and a generous amount of basil vinaigrette only has 6 net carbs per serving!
Can you make a smaller amount of the Cherry Tomato Caprese?
The Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad recipe makes a large salad that you’d serve for a side dish or take to a party. But when you have basil vinaigrette in the fridge, it’s also extra easy to cut down the recipe and just make enough for yourself for lunch, which is what I’ve been doing lately!
Want more ideas for using fresh basil?
If you’re a big fan of fresh basil like I am, check out my post on Cooking with Fresh Basil. I hope you have some basil growing (or at least a basil plant from the grocery store) so you can get in on the fresh basil love!
How to Make Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Make the Basil Vinaigrette if you don’t have some in the fridge.
- Wash fresh basil and spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link) or dry with paper towels.
- Then chop the basil in a Food Processor (affiliate link) with some olive oil.
- I’m partial to this Le Parisien Vinaigrette Dressing for Basil Vinaigrette, but if you can’t find that use any purchased vinaigrette that’s low in sugar. Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) is another one I’ve used for this.
- Mix 1/4 cup basil puree and 3/4 cup vinaigrette to make the basil vinaigrette.
- Cut up 3 cups each of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, or use all one color if you prefer.
- Cut up 2-3 cups of fresh Mozzarella cubes. (If you can find this sliced mozzarella, that makes it extra easy to cut up!)
- Mix tomatoes with desired amount of dressing and then gently stir in the fresh Mozzarella cubes.
- That’s it! Season the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste and devour!
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Tomatoes do have some carbs, but if you serve Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad with a low-carb dish like Air Fryer Salmon, Sanpete County Grilled Chicken Kabobs, or Very Greek Grilled Chicken, it would be a lovely low-carb meal!
More Caprese-Inspired Salads for Summer:
- Grilled Zucchini Caprese Salad
- Summer Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese
- Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad
Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
This Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad uses my favorite basil vinaigrette, and this is tasty and extra easy to make!
Ingredients
- 3 cups red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (see notes)
- 3 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (see notes)
- 2 cups diced fresh mozzarella cubes (or more)
- 3/4 cup Basil Vinaigrette (see notes)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make Basil Vinaigrette if you don't already have some in the fridge:
- Wash fresh basil and spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link) or dry with paper towels.
- Then chop the basil in a Food Processor (affiliate link) with the olive oil.
- I am partial to Le Parisien Vinaigrette Dressing for this recipe but if you can't find that where you live just use any purchased vinaigrette that's low in sugar. Newman's Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) is another good option.
- Mix 1/4 cup basil puree and 3/4 cup vinaigrette to make the basil vinaigrette.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half to make 3 cups each of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, or use all one color if you prefer.
- Cut up 2-3 cups of fresh Mozzarella cubes. (If you can find this sliced mozzarella, that makes it extra easy to cut up!)
- The mix tomatoes with desired amount of dressing and gently stir in the fresh Mozzarella cubes.
- That's it! Season with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste and devour!
Notes
Use any color or combination of colors of tomatoes that you prefer or have on hand.
The recipe for basil vinaigrette uses fresh basil leaves, olive oil, and low-sugar vinaigrette dressing. I recommend making the full recipe of Basil Vinaigrette even if you don't want that much for this recipe because it's good on so many things!
Recipe created by Kalyn when she had cherry tomatoes on the counter and Basil Vinaigrette in the fridge!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 224Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 48mgSodium 538mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 15g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad is a great dish for all kinds of low-carb diet plans, and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more salad recipes. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad recipe was posted in 2020. It was updated with more information in 2024.
2 Comments on “Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad”
Are you still buying the Parisienne dressing from Costco. I did not see it on their website. Thanks for all your recipes!
I do still find it at the big Costco in SLC on 300 West, but I can’t find it at the one closer to me. When I see it, I usually buy enough to last all summer! I think any creamy vinaigrette will work.