Avocado Caprese Salad

5 from 42 votes

This Avocado Caprese Salad is colorful, refreshing and bursting with fresh flavor of seasonal tomatoes. It's a perfect appetizer or side dish for the summer

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This Avocado Caprese Salad is very similar to the caprese salad you’ve had in resturants. They are so light, refreshing and flavorful. I like to add some avocado to the mix, and it adds a creamy dreamy taste that pairs so well with this Italian classic appetizer. Drizzled with olive oil and a balsamic glaze, this salad takes just 10 minutes to put together.

Caprese salad made with diced avocados
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When I make my Avocado Caprese Salad, I like having equal parts of pearl mini mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and avocado. Be sure to pick ripe avocados and check out my tutorial on how to cut an avocado for best appearance. This is a great party appetizer dish that everyone is familiar with and will love the surprise avocado in there!

How to make avocado caprese salad

  1. Place the mini mozzarella balls, cut cherry tomatoes, diced avocados and basil in a large serving bowl until you are ready to serve.
  2. Season the salad with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Drizzle the balsamic glaze on top.
  4. Carefully toss everything together. You may notice that some of the basil will wilt, so you can add more on top for best presentation,
Process shots to show how to throw together the salad

Tips to make this avocado salad

  1. Use the freshest ingredients. The salad uses very minimal ingredients, so it all comes down to the quality of those ingredients, especially the tomatoes. Use ripe but firm cherry tomatoes so they hold together when cut.
  2. Opt for cherry tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes: They tend to be more juicy because of the nature of their size, and make it easier to get all in the ingredients in one bite. If you use regular tomatoes, chop them up small.
  3. Use balsamic glaze, not balsamic vinegar. Balsamic glaze adds a sweet and tangy taste to the caprese salad. I prefer it over the vinegar because the flavor is more rich and intense.
  4. Chiffonade the basil. Do this by rolling the leaves and then slice it to create strips. This means that the basil is more easily distributed throughout the salad when you toss it.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make avocado caprese salad ahead of time?

You can make this salad up to 24 hours ahead of time and keep it well covered in the fridge, make sure it is dressed as the acid from the balsamic will help the avocado not to brown. For best results, add the avocado just before serving.

What do you serve with caprese salad?

This salad is perfect as an appetizer, serve with toasted sourdough and let everyone dig in. You can also serve it as a side or try adding protein, like grilled chicken to make it a fuller meal.

Can you make balsamic glaze?

Making balsamic glaze is as simple as reducing balsamic vinegar over heat. Just place the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally until it thickens. It will reduce to about ¼ the original amount.

Where do you find the mini mozzarella balls?

You can usually find the mini mozzarella (sometimes called mozzarella pearls) in the fresh cheese section in grocery stores near the deli. You’ll find them where you would normally find whole mozzarella either in round plastic containers or vacuum sealed bags.

Avocado caprese salad drizzled with balsamic glaze

I love how quickly and easily this salad comes together and it’s so fresh and vibrant with an added creaminess from the avocado. Caprese salads are so great to add to your summer cookouts! It’s so quick and easy to make this salad, there’s no excuse not to try it.

More Mediterranean salad recipes

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Avocado Caprese Salad recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

This Avocado Caprese Salad recipe was originally published on March 27, 2017. I’ve updated the post by adding more tutorial photos and tips. Here’s the original photo!

This Avocado Caprese Salad is colorful, refreshing and bursting with fresh flavor. It's a perfect appetizer or side dish to make that everyone will enjoy!

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Avocado Caprese Salad

This Avocado Caprese Salad is colorful, refreshing and bursting with fresh flavor of seasonal tomatoes. It's a perfect appetizer or side dish for the summer
5 from 42 votes
Servings 4 servings
Course Appetizer
Calories 312
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Assemble the mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, cut avocado and basil in a serving dish.
  • Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and the balsamic glaze. Carefully toss to coat the ingredients with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last up to 24 hours in the fridge, but best enjoyed immediately.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use regular tomatoes.
  • Instead of balsamic glaze, you can use balsamic vinegar.
  • Instead of pearl mozzarella balls, you can cut whole mozzarella into smaller pieces.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 312kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 502mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 731IU, Vitamin C: 32mg, Calcium: 224mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine Italian
Course: Appetizer

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Comments

    1. I used a store bought one! Instead of balsamic glaze, you can use balsamic vinegar. But making balsamic glaze is as simple as reducing balsamic vinegar over heat. Just place the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally until it thickens. It will reduce to about ¼ the original amount.