This is absolutely one of my favorite salads and this is absolutely my favorite time of year to make it! Seriously… fresh home-grown tomatoes are everywhere, bursting with sweetness. YUM!!!!
I love to serve this simple salad with a heavy meal. It kind of lightens it up a bit. But, my favorite way to serve this salad is with grilled chicken and crusty Italian rolls to sop up the extra dressing. Oh my!
Not only is this salad absolutely delicious but it is absolutely beautiful to look at and will make a beautiful centerpiece on your dinner table 
Enjoy these last days of summer ya’ll!
Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Salad
Ingredients:
- Fresh tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1/3 of a ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese, cubed
- Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- Vinaigrette Dressing
- Fresh sprig of basil for garnish
Arrange tomatoes and Mozzarella in a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and then top with torn basil leaves. Garnish with sprig of basil. Serve immediately.
Note: I really love the taste of Good Season’s Italian salad dressing (the packet) made using balsamic vinegar. I add a few additional tablespoons of the vinegar than the packet calls for because I am a vinegar girl! I know… if you read the ingredients on the packet you won’t be able to pronounce most of them. However, this is one of the very few packaged foods that I still use. Feel free to use your favorite vinaigrette or simply drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
When I make my own vinaigrette, here is my favorite combination:
Basic Vinaigrette Dressing
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Double or triple as needed depending on the quantity you are serving.
Additional serving options:
This salad also looks beautiful if you slice the tomatoes and Mozzarella and layer them on a platter by overlapping the slices and tucking basil leaves in between them.
During our recent She Speaks Conference, the chef prepared this salad by stacking the tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese and holding the stack together with a rosemary branch “skewer.” What a dramatic display for individual servings! I snapped a pic
Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been making this salad with my fresh cherry tomatoes cutting them in half. I also like to add a little sliced onion and sometimes cubed cucumber for a variation. Also, my favorite dressing is Pomegranate Blueberry vinaigrette – yummy!
Oh! I loved, loved, loved that salad at the conference. Ate every single bite!
I will definitely have to make this one at home. Thanks for sharing!
Oh…and I forgot to comment one day…I loved my momma’s canned pears with mayo and shredded cheese when I was little. I had no idea someone else ate that as a child.
I have only had this when it has been served sliced. I love the cut up version with the recipe for the homemade dressing. Can’t wait to try this on those tomatoes in my back yard.
Thanks Leann!
Though I cannot enjoy this yummy salad due to the cheese, can’t wait to try your dressing. I have never used cider vinegar and balsamic together.