This Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad was inspired by a classic Italian salad. You could call this a chopped Caprese Salad, and it’s loaded with juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, avocado, and fresh mozzarella cheese, all drizzled with a lovely and simple balsamic garlic dressing.

It’s such a refreshing and satisfying salad that you’ll make it on repeat all summer. It’s especially delicious with sweet garden tomatoes.

tomato cucumber mozzarella salad in a bowl with a spoon

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Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad

This cucumber tomato mozzarella salad recipe brings the best summer veggies together into one irresistible side dish. It combines the best of my Panzanella Salad and Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad. The fresh mozzarella balances the tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado, while the balsamic dressing marries all the flavors together.

It comes together quickly – just chop the veggies, mix the dressing, and stir together—easy! It adds so much beautiful color and freshness to your meal. If you have any leftovers, it tastes great on top of toast for breakfast the next morning.

Tomato Mozzarella Salad Video

Watch how easy it is to make this summer salad in just a few steps. I know it will become one of your family’s favorite recipes all season long. Pair this with juicy Hamburgers and you have the best cookout menu!

Ingredients

This tomato and mozzarella salad recipe shines year-round, but it is especially delicious when the veggies come straight from the garden or a local farmers’ market. Even if you don’t keep a vegetable garden, you won’t have a hard time finding deliciously fresh ingredients at your local grocery store this time of year.

For the Salad

  • English cucumber  – these are sweeter than slicing cucumbers and have a thinner skin, so there’s no need to peel them. Garden cucumbers also work great.
  • Cherry tomatoes – see my tip below for cutting cherry tomatoes. You can also use grape tomatoes or even dice up garden tomatoes.
  • Mozzarella pearls – lend saltness and creaminess to the recipe. You can also cut a large ball of soft mozzarella into small pieces. You’ll need one cup of fresh mozzarella.
  • Avocado – A ripe avocado gives slightly when pressing the skin, but is not mushy.
  • Basil – be sure to use fresh basil and cut it into ribbons (see my tip for cutting basil leaves below)

Balsamic Dressing Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil – this is the basis of the dressing that coats the veggies
  • Balsamic vinegar – adds a vibrant and tangy taste. Be sure to use balsamic vinegar, not balsamic vinaigrette or balsamic glaze.
  • Garlic – fresh garlic is a staple in Italian cooking, giving the dressing a savory, earthy flavor
  • Salt and pepper – season the dressing to your liking
Ingredients for tomato and mozzarella salad including avocado, cucumber, basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, garlic and balsalmic vinegar

How to Chop Fresh Basil

Since basil bruises easily, it’s important to cut it correctly. Here’s how to ‘chiffonade’ (finely shred) basil:

  1. Stack the basil leaves
  2. Roll the stack lengthwise into a log.
  3. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll to shred the basil leaves. Don’t go over the chopped basil again with your knife or it will bruise the delicate ribbons.
how to cut basil by rolling it into a log and slicing

How to Make Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad

Assemble this delicious mozzarella salad with only a few minutes of chopping and a drizzle of dressing.

  1. Chop the Salad – in a salad bowl, combine the sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, diced avocado, and basil into a serving bowl.
  2. Make The Dressing – Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a separate bowl.
  3. Combine – drizzle the dressing over the salad. Carefully mix the salad together with a rubber spatula or spoon, so you don’t smash any of the vegetables. Then, serve with a large, deep spoon.

Pro Tip: The food scraper that I mentioned in the video above is one of my favorite kitchen tools. It’s like having an extra hand in the kitchen and makes salad prep faster, cleaner, and easier.

tomato and mozzarella salad before mixing

Common Questions

What is a good substitute for basil?

While basil is an essential element of a traditional Caprese salad, this Tomato and Mozzarella Salad recipe also tastes great with chopped parsley or chives.

How to Ripen Avocados

If your avocados are too firm, you can speed ripen in 1-2 days by placing them in a sealed brown paper bag with a banana, apple, or kiwi on the counter. If your avocado is ripe and you aren’t ready to use it, refrigerate it to slow the ripening process.

What’s an easy way to cut tomatoes?

With this hack, it’s simple to cut a lot of tomatoes at once. Put several cherry tomatoes between two storage container lids or 2 shallow rimmed plates. Then, hold the lids in place with one hand on top of the stack. Use a serrated knife in a sawing motion between the two lids to half the tomatoes.

easy way to cut a lot of tomatoes using two lids

Serve with

A classic Caprese salad is typically served as a summer appetizer, but this tomato salad works great as a side dish, especially when grilling. If you want the salad to be served as an entree, you can even chop grilled chicken or shrimp and add it to the bowl.

Make-Ahead

  1. Prep Ahead – To prepare this salad ahead of time, simply cut the tomatoes and cucumbers and store them in an airtight container. Then, Cut and add the avocado, mozzarella pearls, basil, and balsamic dressing just before serving.
  2. Refrigerate Leftovers –The salad will last covered in the refrigerator for a day or two, but the avocados may turn brown.
Tomato mozzarella salad with avocado and cucumber and balsamic dressing

Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad features the most vibrant summer veggies and herbs drizzled with a distinctive balsamic dressing. It’s a crowd favorite that we know your family will love.

More Summer Salads

If you love summer salad recipes, try these delicious variations at your next summer barbecue:

Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad (VIDEO)

4.88 from 50 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Tomato Mozzarella salad recipe in a bowl with balsamic vinegar dressing
This Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad recipe was inspired by a classic Caprese salad. It has fresh tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and Mozzarella cheese, tossed with a simple balsamic dressing.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 people as a side salad
  • 1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls, or 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed or grated
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Place the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, avocado, and basil into a serving bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper together until combined.
  • Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine and serve.

Nutrition Per Serving

250kcal Calories8g Carbs10g Protein20g Fat7g Saturated Fat2g Polyunsaturated Fat11g Monounsaturated Fat30mg Cholesterol443mg Sodium401mg Potassium3g Fiber3g Sugar766IU Vitamin A21mg Vitamin C212mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad (VIDEO)
Amount per Serving
Calories
250
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
11
g
Cholesterol
 
30
mg
10
%
Sodium
 
443
mg
19
%
Potassium
 
401
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
 
8
g
3
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
10
g
20
%
Vitamin A
 
766
IU
15
%
Vitamin C
 
21
mg
25
%
Calcium
 
212
mg
21
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: mozzarella salad, summer salad, tomato mozzarella salad
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 250
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

Read more posts by Natasha

4.88 from 50 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Pat
    October 11, 2024

    Oh my goodness
    Absolutely delicious!
    My new go to salad !
    I’ll make it again and again!
    Thank you so very much Natasha for another delicious recipe!

    Reply

  • Donna Poplawski
    September 21, 2024

    I made this last night to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. It was delicious! My garden has been overflowing with cucumbers and wanted a new way to serve them. So good!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 21, 2024

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Donna!

      Reply

  • Viktoriya
    September 9, 2024

    So simple and yet so flavourful! It’s the perfect summer salad. I actually didn’t have enough tomatoes, so added some mini bell peppers and that went well together too. Thank you!

    Reply

  • Linda
    June 19, 2024

    This has to be one of the best salads I’ve ever had. Of course, everyone makes their own personal adjustments. I used marinated mozzarella balls and just used their marinade for the dressing. I also added red onions (which I add to everything). Next time I’m going to add some marinated olives too. Yum. So good. Thanks Natasha. Haven’t tasted your sister’s, but if her is anything like your’s, it must be excellent too.

    Reply

  • Gina
    June 16, 2024

    I made this for a Father’s Day bbq and it was a huge hit! Definitely a recipe I’ll be making again.

    Reply

  • Mary Rowland
    June 11, 2024

    Everyone always raves about this salad. The flavors come together so nicely and it’s fresh taste is off the chart wonderful. It’s always on my salad menu if I’m hosting a special meal, and I keep it in my summer rotation because my family loves it so much.

    Reply

  • Ann
    March 19, 2024

    May I please have the quantity of each ingredient of the dressing

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 19, 2024

      Hi Ann, you can click Jump to recipe to go to the recipe card and see the ingredients and quantities.

      Reply

  • Susan
    March 4, 2024

    Will this salad be good for lunch the next day?
    It seems just delicious.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 4, 2024

      Hi Susan! I’ve used leftovers on top of toast for breakfast the next morning and it was still great. It does start to loose some of it’s quality the longer it sits.

      Reply

  • Susan
    March 4, 2024

    This will go great with a family favorite, Persian Fesenjan and Naan Yummo

    Reply

  • Brian
    February 6, 2024

    You made the video fun to watch. I learned some new knife skills too.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 6, 2024

      Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles

      Reply

  • Lena
    December 28, 2023

    Hi Natasha! We absolutely loves this salad, but the balsamic vinegar made it look darker, is that how it’s supposed to look or did I use the wrong one?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 28, 2023

      Hi Lena! Yes, balsamic vinegar is dark so it will change the color a bit. It will also look lighter/darker in different lighting.

      Reply

  • Sandie P. Jones
    December 21, 2023

    Can I use a different vinegar? I have a cucumber infused vinegar I am dying to use but don’t want to ruin this. PS. I am so glad your cookbook is out.. it was on my Christmas list.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 21, 2023

      Hi Sandie, I haven’t tried that specific vinegar to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe, maybe try a small amount? I hope you get the book for Christmas!

      Reply

  • Diana
    October 17, 2023

    With the price of dining out, we are cooking far more! Barbecuing burgers tonight and THIS salad, instead of making fries. My darn avocado was dead, so we made it without and still, super tasty!!!
    Loved it!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 17, 2023

      That’s great and totally agree! You’ll save a lot and homemade is so much better.

      Reply

  • Deb Taylor
    August 20, 2023

    Just made this today for the first time. Absolutely delicious and easy to prepare!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 20, 2023

      That’s wonderful! So glad you loved it.

      Reply

  • Deb Taylor
    August 20, 2023

    Just made this dish for the first time today. It is absolutely delicious!!❤️

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 20, 2023

      Hi Deb! That’s wonderful to hear!

      Reply

  • Jessica
    August 15, 2023

    Very easy salad to make. Tasted super yummy! Definitely gonna be something I remake often. Thank you for the delicious recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 15, 2023

      You’re welcome, Jessica! I’m glad you loved the recipe.

      Reply

  • Dawn
    August 10, 2023

    This was delicious but needed some adjustments. The oil to vinegar ratio seemed off. We added extra balsamic vinegar that was great! Also I think the amount oil was a little excessive with the avocado. I’d recommend at least a 1-1 ratio for vinegar and oil, if not more vinegar than oil.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      August 14, 2023

      Hi Dawn, you can definitely adjust to taste but in most dressings, the proportion of oil is higher than vinegar.

      Reply

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