I know there are a lot of food purists out there who will say this is a travesty; the bastardization of the Caprese Salad. Yes, there is balsamic vinegar which some say you would never find on a Caprese Salad in Italy. And yes, I served it as a side dish as opposed to a starter as they would in, you guessed it…Italy.
Alas, we are not in Italy. We are in the United States of America and here? Here, I put balsamic on my Caprese Salad and serve it as a side dish. Except there’s one, minor detail. This isn’t really Caprese salad. Because it also has minced garlic and chopped onion. So, there. Take that, Italy. It’s a side salad!
Don’t get me wrong. I love me some Caprese Salad. It’s the most tantalizing starter at any summer meal. But this version is basically a balsamic marinade, and the added onion and garlic gives you an added kick in the taste buds. It really was very, very good. Lots of robust flavor with the same summer freshness of the purist’s Caprese Salad. Keep this recipe on hand for summer weekends where you’re not hosting a formal sit down meal with several courses. This has summer picnics and barbecues written all over it, especially if you’re invited to a summer meal where you’re asked to bring a dish to pass. Make it ahead and let the flavors mingle. It’s all good. Enjoy!
Balsamic Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (recipe courtesy Food.com)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, cubes
- 1 pint grape tomatoes or 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions:
In medium bowl, combine cheese pearls and tomatoes. In separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and chopped basil. Stir to blend evenly. When dressing is evenly mixed, toss over cheese and tomatoes, stirring gently to coat.
Chill until ready to serve.
Cook’s Notes: Especially where dressings and marinades are involved, always use the best quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil you can afford.
Zoup to Nuts 
Sounds delcious!! I also reduce my balsamic for a Caprese… it gives it a little sweetness-kick!! Yay.. bring on the summer salads 🙂
It was really good. Different from Caprese with the onion and garlic, but with a nice kick. I thought about reducing the balsamic, but I was too lazy!! 🙂 Did Ava and your mom get home safely??
Made this 2 weeks ago and making it again tonight. Tasted excellent! I threw my leftovers on top of cold pasta and was a delicious side to dinner the next night as well.
Show another Salad that has tomatos but not the stuff you Put in the salad now from Email you sent.
This was gross. The beautiful white mozzarella turned brown and my guest asked if it was tofu. In this case, I think the Italians know best.
Alex, perhaps you haven’t cooked with balsamic vinegar before. It is a dark color because it’s been simmered for hours and caramelizes. If you would like to retain the beautiful white color of the mozzarella, grocery stores carry white balsamic that has been simmered at a much lower temperature to avoid darkening. Perhaps you try it again with that approach. It really is quite delicious. Good luck.
Thanks for this! I’m with you, I don’t care if it’s “pure”, I just want it to taste great. I just picked basil from the garden and mixed it all up… hard to wait for dinner:)
Is this okay overnight or should it be made closer to when you are going to eat it?
This is SO GOOD! I will, doubtless, be making this salad all summer. I added some orecchiette pasta and it was/is delicious. Very good as leftovers, even a few days later, as well. Thank you!!!
This salad was beyond amazing!!! Thank you