This Pesto Caprese Salad with cherry tomatoes is a zesty twist on a classic caprese salad. Simply combine grape or cherry tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls with a quick homemade pesto sauce, then drizzle with balsamic glaze for an easy, nutritious summer salad!
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Made with cherry tomatoes and bocconcini balls instead of sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella, this pesto Caprese salad is one of the easiest salads you'll make all summer! All you'll need are fresh tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, pesto and (optional) balsamic glaze!
- It's quick to make with either homemade pesto or store-bought pesto sauce.
- This classic Italian salad makes an ideal side dish for your barbecue or grilling recipes.
- Bocconcini balls make a fun presentation. Try them in a salad like this Balsamic Bocconcini Cherry Tomato Salad.
🛒 Ingredients and substitutions
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about the ingredients. While you can use your favourite store-bought pesto and balsamic glaze, both are very easy to make at home, so I've included the ingredients here.
- cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- fresh mozzarella balls: also called bocconcini balls or ciliengine balls
- fresh basil leaves
- pine nuts (or you can substitute cashews or walnuts)
- garlic clove, minced
- fresh lemon juice
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt or Kosher salt, to taste
- balsamic glaze (for drizzling)
🔪 Instructions
- Make a simple balsamic glaze by reducing balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
- Dry roast pine nuts over medium heat in a small skillet.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the fresh basil leaves, lightly toasted and cooled pine nuts, minced garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Pulse until roughly chopped.
- With the processor running, slowly pour in extra-virgin olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture becomes a vibrant green pesto. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls to a shallow serving dish.
- Drizzle the pesto dressing generously over the tomatoes and mozza balls, tossing to ensure they are well coated.
- Finish the salad by scattering some extra basil leaves on top and sprinkle it with a few pine nuts for added crunch.
- For an optional touch of sweetness, drizzle some balsamic glaze over the salad just before serving.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
- Use the freshest ingredients To make the best Caprese pesto salad, you need to source the ripest, plumpest juicy tomatoes, the creamiest mozzarella balls, the freshest basil leaves and the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can find.
- Enjoy it at the height of the tomato season Caprese salad is really a summer salad, best eaten at the height of tomato season. Source your tomatoes from your farmer's market or your own garden, if you're lucky enough to grow them yourself. Winter tomatoes can be tasteless and mealy, especially if they've been shipped a long way. Save this salad to really enjoy in the summer months. It's particularly delicious with heirloom tomatoes.
- Buy fresh mini mozzarella balls packed in water Choose mini bocconcini packed in water over those marinated in oil. Bocconcini balls are also available as smaller balls, called "bocconcini pearls."
- Serve at room temperature Serve the salad at room temperature and sprinkle lightly with salt. Chilling tomatoes can destroy their flavour.
🔁 Possible Variations
- Use multi-coloured cherry tomatoes for extra interest!
- Vary the type of pesto. In this recipe, I use pesto made with pine nuts, but you can easily substitute cashews, as in this recipe for 5-Minute Basil Cashew Pesto.
- Add cubed avocado or your favourite pitted olives.
- Make a pesto caprese pasta salad by adding cooked chilled gluten-free penne or rotini pasta.
- Of course, you can use tomato slices and thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese to make a more traditional Caprese salad.
- For an appetizer, make pesto Caprese kabobs. Thread the bocconcini and tomatoes on thin bamboo skewers between basil leaves. Display them on a platter then drizzle with balsamic glaze. Easy finger food!
❓Reader's Questions
This Italian salad is named for the island of Capri off the coast of Italy where it may have originated. The red, white and green colours in a traditional Caprese salad match the colours of the Italian flag.
Like many kinds of soft cheese such as feta cheese, you should leave uneaten bocconcini cheese in its original tub or container. You can also store it in cooled boiled water with a pinch of sea salt. It will last for up to three weeks if stored properly. If you notice any signs of mold, you should discard it.
🍽 What to serve with pesto caprese salad
This salad can stand on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with grilled chicken or fish for a more substantial meal. I like it with any of the following main dishes:
- Easy Baked Lemon Chicken
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Grilled Rosemary Mustard Chicken Kabobs
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Honey-Dijon Glazed Salmon in Foil
- Fennel-Crusted Salmon
Serve it as an appetizer, a refreshing side dish at a summer BBQ, or pack it up for a picnic in the park!
⏰ Storage Instructions
To store: Store this Caprese salad with pesto in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3 to 5 days. You can freshen it up with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Get ready to enjoy this tasty salad that will transport you to the sun-soaked hills of Italy! Grab your fork, savour each bite, and let this Pesto Caprese Salad be the star of your next summer meal! 🍅🌿🌞
🗒 More salad recipes to try
- Thai-Style Coleslaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Blackberry Spinach Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
- Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Nutritional Yeast Dressing
- Winter Persimmon Kale Salad
🌟Did you make this recipe?
When you make this pesto Caprese salad with cherry tomatoes, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Pesto Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453 g) cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 8 oz (225 g) mini bocconcini balls, aka mini mozzarella balls
Pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- drizzle balsamic glaze
- sea salt or Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make a simple balsamic glaze by reducing balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
- Dry roast pine nuts over medium heat in a small skillet until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and let them cool.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the fresh basil leaves, lightly toasted and cooled pine nuts, minced garlic, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and a pinch of sea salt. Pulse until roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly pour in extra-virgin olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture becomes a vibrant green pesto. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls to a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle the pesto generously over the tomatoes and mozza balls, tossing to ensure they are well coated. Finish the salad by scattering some extra basil leaves on top and sprinkle it with a few pine nuts for added crun.ch
- For an optional touch of sweetness, drizzle some balsamic glaze over the salad just before serving.
Matt
Simple and beautiful!
Elaine
Thanks for your kind review, Matt!