Grab a fork and dig in to the best Caprese cucumber salad recipe with mozzarella balls! This Caprese cucumber tomato basil salad is packed with flavor. It’s cold, crunchy, and has plenty of fresh mozzarella balls to satisfy a crowd.
Serve this make ahead caprese salad recipe at a party, or keep it in the fridge for healthy snacking when hunger strikes. This is one of my favorite recipes with mozzarella balls. Let’s get to it!
This is one of Sip Bite Go’s recipes featured on KGW
Ingredients for the best caprese cucumber salad recipe with mozzarella balls
The main vegetables in my best caprese cucumber salad are fresh cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, and red onion.
Love tasty vegetable salads? Check out this avocado ranch salad.
This is one of my favorite recipes with mozzarella balls. They are creamy and so tasty in the garlic dressing. Cut larger mozzarella balls in half to make bite-sized pieces, or use mozzarella pearls which are about the size of blueberries.
This caprese mozzarella ball salad is insanely fragrant from the garlic vinaigrette and basil. Here’s how to make it…
How to make the garlic vinaigrette – step by step
The Caprese cucumber salad is seasoned with a simple garlic vinaigrette made with garlic, shallot, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. If you don’t want to make the dressing from scratch, substitute a store bought Italian vinaigrette dressing.
I roast the diced garlic for this dressing because raw garlic can be overpowering.
The roasted garlic flavor is sweeter and more appealing to most people. Which is exactly what you want when serving a make ahead salad for a crowd.
Heat garlic, shallot and olive oil in a pan on the stove on medium heat for one minute.
Stir regularly so the garlic and shallot doesn’t brown.
Want another crowd pleasing side dish? With only 10 minutes of active prep time, enjoy frozen mixed vegetables potatoes au gratin as your next holiday or weeknight dinner side dish.
Using a spatula, scrape all of the fragrant olive oil and lightly roasted bits into a bowl or a mason jar. Add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake together and set aside.
How to make the best Caprese salad – step by step
Slice cucumbers in half the long way. With a spoon, remove the soft seeded inside flesh and discard. Dice the cucumbers.
In a large bowl, mix cucumber, red pepper, red onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella balls together.
Combine dressing with the salad ingredients. Sprinkle basil on the salad and give the ingredients a final toss.
Another favorite around here is this make ahead Mexican tortellini pasta salad.
Serve immediately or chill in the fridge up to 24 hours before serving. To serve the salad more than 24 hours after making it, add the fresh basil right before serving.
To make more tasty recipes with fresh herbs, see this post on growing herbs in containers.
Tasty tips and notes for making best caprese salad recipe with mozzarella balls
- Store the salad in a sealed container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Make it on a Friday and enjoy it all weekend. Or make it on a Sunday and have a delicious lunch or dinner side for the week.
- You can mix this caprese salad recipe with cooked pasta to make a Caprese pasta salad. Orecchiette is a great sized pasta shape for a pasta version of this recipe.
- A protein served along with it – like sous vide lobster or Italian stuffed peppers – is a great way to turn the best caprese salad in to a meal.
- Instead of red wine vinegar, you can use balsamic vinegar.
- This is a great salad for a potluck – serve it on the side of BBQ sous vide chicken. Or with this cheesy baked rigatoni dish that is great for feeding a crowd.
- To keep the salad chilled at a party, sit it on a large ice pack wrapped with an absorbent kitchen towel.
Next up, try these Caprese chicken sandwiches
Sip Bite Go readers also love these easy salads…
- Mexican Pasta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing
- Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
- Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad
- Mexican Salad with Ranch Dressing
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The Best Caprese Salad Recipe with Mozzarella Balls (Sip Bite Go)
Ingredients
Vinaigrette ingredients
- 2 tbsp garlic diced
- 1 tbsp shallot diced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Salad ingredients
- 5 cucumbers skins removed
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 oz mozzarella balls halved
- ½ cup basil cut in thin ribbons
Instructions
- Heat garlic, shallot and olive oil in a pan on the stove on medium heat for one minute, stirring regularly so the garlic and shallot doesn't brown. Using a spatula, scrape all of the fragrant olive oil and lightly roasted bits into a bowl or a mason jar. Add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake together and set aside.
- Slice cucumbers in half the long way. With a spoon, remove the soft seeded inside flesh and discard. Dice the cucumbers.
- In a large bowl, mix cucumber, red pepper, red onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella balls together.
- Combine dressing with the salad ingredients. Sprinkle basil on the salad and give the ingredients a final toss. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge up to 24 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- Store the salad in a sealed container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Make it on a Friday and enjoy it all weekend. Or make it on a Sunday and have a delicious lunch or dinner side for the week.
- You can mix this caprese salad recipe with cooked pasta to make a caprese pasta salad. Orecchiette is a great sized pasta shape for a pasta version of this recipe.
- A protein like grilled chicken is a great way to turn the best caprese salad in to a meal.
- Instead of red wine vinegar, you can use balsamic vinegar.
- This is a great salad for a potluck or BBQ. To keep the salad chilled at a party, sit it on a large ice pack wrapped with an absorbent kitchen towel.
I have been making this salad, since the recipe was posted 2 years ago and still make it all the time. it is such a huge hit with the family, and will be adding this for a party this weekend!
Hey Samantha!
It’s my go to party salad, along with this one – https://sipbitego.com/make-ahead-mexican-salad/
Glad your family still loves it 🙂 Great way to use all those cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden.
Caprese salads are my absolute favorite, this is a great, much easier, way to serve it at my next family bbq!
Caprese Salad is my all time favourite 🙂 I also love cucumber, so this sounds like a great dish to me!
I will be having this salad all summer long! So tasty and easy for lunch!
Caprese salad is one of my favourite salads. I really like the addition of cucumber here it sounds so refreshing!
I’m with you, who has time for individual plating!! This is one of my favorite salads, those fresh mozzarella balls take it to the next level!