This summery cherry tomato salad is made with ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, herbs and red onions, all tossed in a light garlic and herb dressing. A fun take on the classic caprese salad!
Tomato and mozzarella salad is a traditional summer side dish recipe that never goes out of style. This version uses cherry tomatoes and bite sized mozzarella balls and is perfect for a pot luck or barbecue. Serve it alongside other summertime favorites such as grilled pork chops or grilled chicken kabobs.
I often like to throw together salads that don’t contain lettuce for a nice snack. Of course, they work as a side dish just as well and one of my favorites is this cherry tomato salad. If you’re a tomato lover like me, you’ll be tempted to eat it all once that first tomato hits your taste buds.
Table of Contents
Cherry Tomato Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls, red onion, fresh herbs, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Cherry Tomato Salad?
Place your fresh tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella balls, and herbs in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ingredients for your dressing and pour it over the top of the tomato mixture. Lightly toss and you’ve got a tasty snack or side that only takes minutes to make.
Tips For The Perfect Salad
- If you prefer grape tomatoes, those work just as well, but cherry tomatoes are usually my go-to.
- I think it’s really fun to get the multi color cherry tomatoes you usually find at the Farmer’s Market and use those in this tomato and mozzarella salad. It makes for quite a gorgeous side dish with little effort involved.
- Use a serrated knife to easily cut the tomatoes in half.
- You can use your favorite blend of fresh herbs. I typically use parsley, basil and chives. Other great options include dill or even cilantro.
Quick Tip
Cherry tomato salad will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Grape tomatoes tend to be smaller (about half the size) and more oblong shaped than cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes have a thicker skin and aren’t as sweet as cherry tomatoes. I find that grape tomatoes are more readily available at the grocery store these days. You can use either grape or cherry tomatoes in this salad with the same results.
It’s always best to serve dishes that contain a lot of fresh ingredients like this tomato and mozzarella salad, immediately. You can store the salad in the refrigerator to enjoy later, but the tomatoes will continue to release their juices as they sit, which can make for a more watery texture.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Greens: Toss the cherry tomato salad with 4 cups of greens such as baby spinach, arugula or butter lettuce.
- Cheese: Swap out the mozzarella balls for shaved parmesan or cubes of provolone cheese.
- Toppings: Finish the salad with some capers, olives, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, or even toasted breadcrumbs.
- Grains: Feel free to stir in up to 2 cups of cooked pasta, farro or quinoa for a heartier dish.
There couldn’t be an easier side dish than this cherry tomato salad. The salad has been a huge hit with family and friends so I always keep it in my arsenal when party plans start brewing. Time is rarely on my side so I need easy recipes like this to keep me sane! Plus it’s the perfect way to showcase all those fresh summer tomatoes.
More Great Salad Recipes
Cucumber Tomato Salad
11 mins
Black Bean and Corn Salad
11 mins
Spaghetti Salad
35 mins
Tropical Fruit Salad
10 mins
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Cherry Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella balls halved
- 1/4 cup red onion minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, chives, green onions, oregano
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, mozzarella balls, red onion and herbs in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture and gently toss to coat evenly. Serve.
Notes
- If you prefer grape tomatoes, those work just as well, but cherry tomatoes are usually my go-to.
- I think it’s really fun to get the multi color cherry tomatoes you usually find at the Farmer’s Market and use those in this tomato and mozzarella salad. It makes for quite a gorgeous side dish with little effort involved.
- Use a serrated knife to easily cut the tomatoes in half.
Could I use goat cheese instead of mozzarella?
Yes that’s fine!
What other kind of vinegar can I use?
Balsamic would work!
Yummy, and easy, too! We both enjoyed it.
This looks amazing. I am definitely making it!
Can it be prepared a day aheaf?
That should be fine!
Does sound good, going to try it with blackened shrimp n make a meal out of it. Let u know how it tastes
Can you make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes that works!
I love this salad so much and so did the rest of my family I did add zucchini and cauliflower. But even if I didn’t I would love it.
Here in CA our garden tomatoes are overflowing and I love to make this recipe! Nice for lunch too!
I’m a fan of this salad! I change up the fresh herbs for variety!
Thank you for the recipe but where’s the garlic in the “garlic and herb dressing”?
You’re right, that got omitted by accident. Thanks for catching it!
I love caprese salads and you’ve taken it up a notch with this recipe! I will sure to try making this salad soon!
fresh mozzarella makes all the difference in this. looks amazing!
I make a similar cherry tomato salad almost everyday this summer! So light and easy! My kids love mozzarella balls.
Oh my goodness what a delicious and colourful salad! I know for a fact this would be a huge hit in my house! It looks just yummy!
This is one of our favorite salads. When our tomatoes are ripe – we cannot get enough of it. Have you every tried it with a few slices of peaches? Great!
I agree, this makes a nice snack or a great side dish! I think it’s always been a lovely combination, the mozzarella definitely compliments the cherry tomatoes! I am a huge fan of easy to make recipes like this!
I would love this. I am all about tomatoes and mozzarella. I’m going to make this soon! Heck, I could make this and be content with it. I wouldn’t need anything else.
This looks so yummy and I can’t wait to make it for my mother in law for her Lunch as she loves all kinds of Tomatoes.
This salad looks so delicious! Would be perfect to make for dinner today. I love summer recipes that include cherry tomatoes.
The tomato and mozzarrella is so good together and the italian influence is so great. On ahot day this looks so cool and refreshing.