Easy Caprese Salad – Simply Home Cooked

Modified: Apr 21, 2025 by Dina

This Chopped Caprese Salad is one of the easiest summer salads you’ll come by. Although it’s a very simple recipe, the classic combination of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil is bursting with flavor.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

This Chopped Caprese Salad is a wonderful summer dish! I love the flavors of this (nearly) authentic recipe and find it so fresh and tasty, perfect for a hot summer day.

• TASTE: Sweet tomatoes, tangy vinegar, and fresh basil give this dish flavors that will burst in your mouth.
• TEXTURE: The rich mozzarella and juicy tomatoes are the perfect combination.
• TIME: This Caprese Salad is super quick. 10 minutes is all it takes.
• EASE: These ingredients are easy to find and prepare. Three steps and you’re done!

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Heirloom tomatoes– These are sweeter and more juicy than other tomatoes, with less acid.
• Basil leaves– Use fresh basil for the best flavor.
• Ciliegine mozzarella balls– This mozzarella is soft and moist, packed in water. It has a deliciously rich flavor.
• Olive oil– Extra virgin olive oil is light and flavorful.
• Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze– Sweet and tangy, this thick drizzle sets off the flavors in this dish perfectly.
• Salt & Black pepper– To taste.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Substitute different tomatoes- I love heirloom tomatoes for Caprese Salad, but you could also make this with other varieties, such as cherry, Roma, and grape tomatoes.
• Add fruit or nuts- Try this salad with fresh peach slices for a sweet flavor. Or add avocado for extra creaminess. For a little crunch, a sprinkle of pine nuts would pair nicely.
• Substitute other herbs- Basil is authentic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this with other fresh herbs, such as mint or dill.
• Add pesto- A drizzle of basil pesto would add so much flavor to this summer salad. You can get it at the store or make your own!

How to Make Caprese Salad

• Dice the tomatoes. Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes into wedges.
• Chop the basil. Now carefully cut the basil into thin slices.
• Mix together. Add the mozzarella balls (drained), tomato wedges, and basil strips to a large plate or bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve.

Pro Tip: Slice the basil leaves thinly. If you cut the basil too thick, it will overpower the other flavors.

Recipe Tips

• Use fresh basil leaves- Dried basil it is not nearly as delicious as fresh. So opt for the actual whole basil leaves to take the flavors of this Caprese Salad to the max.
• Use a sharp knife for prep. A sharp knife will glide through the tomatoes and basil without tearing them. This also helps you avoid squishing too much juice from your ripe tomatoes.
• Cut the tomatoes the same size as the mozzarella. I suggest cutting them into wedges if you are using mozzarella balls, and flat discs if you are slicing your cheese. This keeps one ingredient from overpowering another.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This homemade Caprese Salad is an appetizer that is the perfect starter for any meal. You can enjoy this delicious dish with pasta, meats, pizza, and soup.

• Pasta: Serve some Spaghetti Carbonara, Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, Asparagus Pasta, or Shrimp Scampi Pasta after this salad.
• Meats: Caprese Salad goes nicely with Creamy Tuscan Chicken, Meatballs in Homemade Sauce, Cast Iron Ribeye Steak, and Easy 10 minute Blackened Cajun Shrimp.
• Pizza: Pair this salad with your favorite pizza, such as this Chicken Pesto Pizza, Margherita Pizza, Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread Pizza, or Mushroom Arugula Flatbread Pizza.
• Soup: Serve it with Homemade Chicken Meatball Soup, Tortellini Soup, Tomato Basil Soup, or Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat).

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: This salad is better the fresher it is. However, you can prepare the ingredients and then put it together right before you are ready to serve.

Storing: You can store this Caprese Salad in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Drain any juices before serving.

Freeze: Unfortunately, you cannot freeze this salad. It will noticeably affect the texture so I advise making it fresh. Besides, it’s super quick!

More Scrumptious Salads!

This recipe was originally posted on May 25, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Full Recipe Instructions