Cucumber caprese salad screams summer with fresh lemon, cucumber and tomatoes. Delicious fresh herbs and a tart, sweet balsamic vinegar dressing.
During the summer, fresh salads are great on those hot days. They bring sort of a cooling effect to the time of the year and the body itself.
We prefer “cooling foods” during the hot months for those familiar with hot and cold energy foods.
A cucumber caprese salad is best when fresh and should be simple and fun to make. Not as fun and delicious as eating but who doesn’t love the creative process.
Keep reading and let’s dive into how to make this summer salad.
How To Make A Cucumber Caprese Salad
Make a list for these ingredients
- English cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Basil
- Oregano
- Balsamic vinegar
- Mozzarella pearls
- Lemon
- Salt & black pepper
A quick helpful tip before starting
A cucumber caprese salad is made to be fresh as possible. No dried herbs are used in this salad.
Note, there are different types of cucumbers and tomatoes you can find in the grocery store. If you have a favorite have fun with the recipe. English cucumbers are slightly sweeter than regular but any cucumbers will work in the recipe. There are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and various other versions that all work within this cucumber caprese salad recipe.
Putting the salad together
- To start, prep the ingredients. Slice and dice the cucumber, half the tomatoes and chop of the herbs removing the stems.
- In a large bowl or salad bowl, toss all the ingredients in you just cut up.
- Then, drain the mozzarella pearls because they are bought in water. Add those into the bowl.
- Now, zest a lemon over the cucumber caprese salad then toss everything together until even.
- Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the salad then toss again. Taste for salt then garnish the salad with black pepper. Serve.
- Quick tip, when serving giving the salad a toss before taking a serving because overtime the vinegar likes to settle to the bottom.
Best way to store the recipe
When storing most salads they tend to get watery over time. I suggest draining the excess water then adding in some fresh balsamic vinegar and salt to taste again. This is the best method because when the vegetables release water the salt will taste much different.
Store inside the bowl you made the salad in but covered. This cucumber caprese salad recipe should keep 2 days max. To add, this is not a recipe to be put in the freezer to be frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is a caprese salad healthy?
Anything using whole food ingredients will always be great for you. I would not say a broccoli salad is bad but a caprese salad tends to always be much lower in fat.
What are caprese salad ingredients?
For this cucumber caprese salad the main ingredients are cucumber, tomato, mozzarella and a fresh herb. The dressings tend to always have balsamic vinegar but there are some recipes that add olive oil into the mix.
What to serve with a cucumber caprese salad?
This salad can be an appetizer or serve as a light side dish for dinner or a plate at a potluck or picnic. The best pairing would be a great protein source like grilled chicken or steak.
Cucumber caprese salad
Ingredients
- 2 cup cucumber, sliced (2-3 cucumbers)
- 1.5 cup cherry tomato
- 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls
- 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped
- 2 tablespoon basil, chopped
- 1 zested lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, prep all of the ingredients (slice and dice cucumber, half tomatoes, chop basil and oregano also remove the stems, drain the water from the mozzarella pearls)
- Toss all of those ingredients into a bowl. Zest a lemon over the bowl. Toss the salad to get everything even.
- Now add in the balsamic vinegar. Give the salad a taste and adjust the salt levels to your liking. Garnish with pepper and serve.
- Note, the vinegar likes to settle to the bottom so before getting or handing out a serving be sure to give the salad a quick toss in the dressing.