Fresh basil, paired with an olive oil & lime juice dressing, adds a fresh and tangy taste to this Easy Caprese Salad Recipe with Cherry Tomatoes.
Some things are worth waiting for. Spring after a long, cold winter. Football season. That first crisp, fall day. That’s the way I feel about homegrown tomatoes. They come and go very quickly but they are so worth the wait. This year I hit the jackpot with my cherry tomato plants. They are huge and the tomatoes are ripening almost faster than I can eat them. I was finally able to make that caprese salad I talked about when I planted them…and if you’re wondering, it was definitely worth the wait!
Most caprese salad recipes call for some sort of balsamic vinegar dressing. Even though I have tried, I just don’t like balsamic vinegar. I decided to try the same dressing I used for my Watermelon Mint Salad and it was delicious. The tang of the lime paired with the creamy mozzarella and tomatoes was the perfect combination.
Caprese Salad Recipe with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese (cut in small cubes)
- juice from one fresh lime
- 1/4 cup ollive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 large basil leaves (chopped)
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine olive oil, lime juice, salt & pepper. Whisk well with a fork.
- Put cherry tomato halves & cubed mozzarella in a bowl. Sprinkle with chopped basil.
- Add olive oil mixture and toss well. Adjust with more salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or will last in refrigerator (covered) for a day or so.
Caprese Salad Tips:
- Make sure to use fresh mozzarella. The bagged shredded stuff is just not the same.
- Definitely substitute regular diced tomatoes if you don’t have cherry tomatoes.
- Chiffonade the basil first and then chop it. That way you won’t be crunching down on a big piece of basil.
- You can freeze basil in olive oil and use it to make this salad anytime. Just thaw out enough cubes to equal 1/4 cup of olive oil. See how to freeze basil HERE.
Here’s a video I made last summer that shows how to chiffonade basil. My knife skills are just average, but it shows the process of rolling the basil and then slicing.
Click for more information: All About Basil
