This Strawberry Caprese Salad is the perfect spring or summer salad filled with ripe strawberries, creamy mozzarella, fresh greens, crisp red onions, and a sweet and creamy balsamic vinaigrette.
Strawberry Caprese Salad
Strawberries This recipe SHINES in the spring and early summer when strawberries are at their peak. Luckily strawberries are found all year around so you can have this salad whenever you want. I like to rinse and cut my strawberries into bit sized pieces. Larger strawberries can be cut into 8 pieces, while smaller strawberries can be halved or quartered.
Mozzarella Fresh Mozzarella adds an amazing, soft ”forkable” texture to this salad. If you can find mozzarella pearls, they are really cute and require no prep work. You can also cut a ball of fresh mozzarella into small bite size pieces, approximately 1/2 inch.
Mixed Greens My favorite greens for this salad are the H-E-B Romaine, Baby Red Butter and Arugula salad or the H-E-B Herb Garden Spring Mix.
Red Onions Thinly sliced onion adds the perfect bite, color and crunch to this salad. If the onions are super pungent, try rinsing them under cold water and then let dry.
Balsamic Vinaigrette I could drink this stuff. Balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and either olive oil or grapeseed oil all come together to create a smooth, creamy, slightly sweet dressing you’ll want to put on everything. Using a finer, pricier balsamic will typically yield a superior dressing. However, this is still REALLY great with your standard household balsamic.
Oil Olive oil and grapeseed oil both work well for this recipe. Olive oil adds a richer flavor while grapeseed oil offers a milder flavor, and it also keeps the dressing from solidifying in the fridge. I personally like to do half olive oil and half grapeseed oil. If you use all olive oil and you make the dressing ahead, just take the dressing out from the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time to get the right consistency.
Make Ahead If you are making the salad a little bit ahead of time right before service, assemble the salad completely, but leave the dressing on the side. If you are making the salad a day ahead, leave the components separate and assemble right before serving.
Pairs Well With Pop open a bottle of Gruet, or pour a glass of Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir for the perfect pairing. Want to nerd out on some wine? Try opting for something different like Viognier, Lambrusco or Beaujolais.
If you like this salad, try our Southwest Salad, Watermelon Arugula salad or our Crisp Asian Salad.
Recipe
Strawberry Caprese Salad
Ripe strawberries, creamy mozzarella, fresh greens, crisp red onions and a sweet and creamy balsamic vinaigrette make for the perfect salad.
Ingredients
- **For the Dressing**
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil (see notes above)
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- **For the Salad**
- 2 cups fresh cut Strawberries
- 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Fresh Mozzarella Balls or Fresh Mozzarella cut into bite sized pieces
- 5 oz. Mixed Greens
Directions
- Step 1 Blend or whisk all salad dressing ingredients together.
- Step 2 Top the mixed greens with red onion, strawberries and mozzarella.
- Step 3 When you are ready to serve, toss the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette or serve the dressing on the side.
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
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