Easy Italian Marinated Mozzarella Cheese and Tomato Salad
This flavorful mozzarella cheese and tomato salad features juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella marinated in a zesty basil dressing. Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or light lunch, this Italian-inspired salad is both simple to prepare and impressive to serve.
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Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl large enough to hold all ingredients
- 1 whisk for combining dressing ingredients
- 1 knife and cutting board for slicing tomatoes, herbs, and spices
- 1 microplane for zesting lemon
- 1 storage container for storing and marinating salad
Ingredients
- 10 g garlic chopped, about 2-3 large cloves or 2 tsp
- 8 g whole grain mustard about 1 tsp
- 2 g lemon zest roughly 1 tsp
- 15 g lemon juice 1/2 ounce, from half a lemon
- 35 g balsamic vinegar 1 ounce
- 4 g fresh basil chopped or torn, 2 heaping tsp
- 48 g olive oil 1/4 cup, or 2 ounces
- 4 g salt 1 tsp, diamond brand
- 2 g pepper 1 tsp, coarsely ground
- 260 g tomatoes halved, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 230 g mozzarella 1 container fresh mozzarella balls, or fresh mozzarella chopped into cubes
Instructions
- Drain mozzarella. Drain your mozzarella from the fresh brine while you prep the remaining ingredients.230 g mozzarella
- Chop garlic. Finely chop the garlic and add to a large mixing bowl.10 g garlic
- Zest and juice lemon. Zest the lemon directly into the bowl with the garlic. Juice half the lemon, being careful to not get seeds in the bowl.2 g lemon zest, 15 g lemon juice
- Chop basil. Carefully chop basil into long thin strips (aka chiffonad) by rolling the leaves up then slicing them thinly.4 g fresh basil
- Combine ingredients into dressing. Add the whole grain mustard, balsamic vinegar, chopped fresh basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Whisk thoroughly until well combined.10 g garlic, 8 g whole grain mustard, 2 g lemon zest, 15 g lemon juice, 35 g balsamic vinegar, 48 g olive oil, 4 g salt, 2 g pepper, 4 g fresh basil
- Slice tomatoes. Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes in half, then add them to the bowl with the dressing. Gently stir to combine.260 g tomatoes
- Add mozzarella. Once completely drained, add mozzarella cheese to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine.230 g mozzarella
- Marinate. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to allow flavors to meld and ingredients to marinate.
- Serve. Remove from refrigerator about 10 - 20 minutes before serving so it's slightly cooler than room temperature. Stir gently before serving.
Notes
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- too acidic - if the balance of flavor tastes a little off, you can add in a little drizzle of honey or a bigger pinch of salt to offset the acidity from the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
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- temperature matters - while you can (and should) marinate this mozzarella salad in the fridge, it’s best served at room temperature so the cheese isn’t too firm and the oil isn’t hard.
Nutrition
Calories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 7gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 388mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 494IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 0.4mg
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Keyword: al fresco, antipasto, appetizer, basil, caprese, herbs, mozzarella, tomato