Salads like this strawberry basil and mozzarella salad are great for nights where you just don't want to cook, and with summer weather, that's sometimes an entire week. It's packed with fresh strawberries, torn basil, and mozzarella bocconcini tossed together in a balsamic vinaigrette. If this doesn't scream summer, I don't know what will.
Strawberries are perfect in a variety of different recipes like my strawberry stuffed french toast, and of course as a snack. With the abundance of basil I have in my backyard, I knew I needed to pair the two together and throw in mozzarella and tomatoes as a "caprese" style salad.
TL; DR Summary - Strawberry Caprese Salad
- 👩🏼🍳 Prep Level: Easy/Beginner
- ⏱️ Prep Time: ~5-10 minutes
- 📖 Dietary Info: Dairy
- 😋 Taste: Sweet, tart, creamy, herbaceous.
- 💖 Why You'll Love: This strawberry caprese salad is filled with fresh fruity flavor paired with an earthy basil crunch, and of course, fresh mozzarella. It's easy to prep ahead of time and pair with your favorite proteins.
- 🍽️ Best Served With: A delicious brunch table featuring pear french toast and a broccoli cheddar quiche. Chop up juicy pan friend chicken cutlets and throw it directly into the salad.
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Tips and Tricks for Salad Prep
- Pour just enough balsamic to coat the ingredients versus saturating everything. We don't want the strawberries and mozzarella to get soggy.
- Sprinkle a little cracked pepper and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness and acidity from the tomatoes and balsamic.
- Use large strawberries versus the tiny ones so that they hold up with the other ingredients and don't soften quickly.
- Fresh basil is necessary in this recipe. If you are growing basil in your garden, even better.
Make This a Meal Prep
- Hold off on adding the balsamic to the strawberries and mozzarella, and portion the balsamic dressing into individual portions for the week.
- You can slice the strawberries ahead of time and dole them out into individual containers with the cheese throughout the week.
- Separate the mozzarella from the strawberries and wait to add the basil until the end.
The Main Ingredients
- Strawberries - Fresh, plump, ripe strawberries. They're just so perfectly sweet with a touch of tartness to pair well with the balsamic, the cheese, and the herby flavor of basil.
- Basil - basil adds a really great earthy flavor to this salad, and pairs really well with strawberries.
- Mozzarella Bocconcini - aka "cherry size" mozzarella balls are the perfect size of fresh mozzarella cheese to use for this fresh salad.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette - you don't need much, but it's excellent when paired with strawberries and the basil.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Tomatoes - You don't have to add tomatoes if you don't like them or want to. If you do want, you can use the smaller size such as grape or cherry, or even small San Marzano.
- Mozzarella - This recipe is made based on the use of mozzarella, but you can use freshly diced mozzarella or smaller mozzarella pearls if you don't have or want to buy the Ciliegine size.
- Balsamic - Instead of using a balsamic vinaigrette, you can replace it with a simple olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.
How to assemble a strawberry and basil salad
Step 1: Add grape tomatoes to a large bowl.
Step 2: To the tomatoes, pour in the mozzarella Ciliegine.
Step 3: Slice strawberries in half then add to the tomatoes and mozzarella.
Step 4: Tear basil leaves then add to the bowl and drizzle the balsamic dressing. Toss to combine and serve.
Strawberry Caprese Salad FAQs
If you have leftovers that you want to put in the refrigerator, you can do so by adding the leftover salad to an airtight container with a tight fitting lid and place in the fridge. This will stay fresh for 2-3 days, but use your best judgment when opening it. If it smells sour or if it has any sort of foul odor, discard.
You can add in chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, almonds, or even cashews. You can also throw in some hot peppers like sliced jalapeño or even blistered shishito peppers for a balance of salt, fat, acid, and heat.
I love throwing in some rotisserie chicken or even oven baked chicken thighs to add more flavor, as well as using honey lime grilled shrimp for a fresh and light bite.
Here are some other fresh and summer-forward salads
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Strawberry Basil and Mozzarella Salad
Equipment
- 1 large serving bowl
- 1 cutting board
- 1 sharp knife
Ingredients
- 1 Ā½ cups grape tomatoes
- 1 Ā½ cups mozzarella ciliegine
- 1 cup strawberries sliced in half
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette
- 2 oz fresh basil roughly chopped or torn
Instructions
- Add grape tomatoes to a large bowl.
- To the tomatoes, pour in the mozzarella Ciliegine.
- Slice strawberries in half then add to the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Tear basil leaves then add to the bowl and drizzle the balsamic dressing. Toss to combine and serve.
Archie says
It's been so hot in new england and when i saw this strawberry salad I knew I needed to make it to keep us cool. It was so refreshing and very easy to throw together in a few minutes. We had this with some leftover grilled chicken and we loved it.