Cucumber Caprese Salad: How To Make It Fresh & Lemon Zested

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Cucumber caprese salad screams summer with fresh lemon, cucumber and tomatoes. Delicious fresh herbs and a tart, sweet balsamic vinegar dressing.

Cucumber caprese salad

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.

Cucumber caprese salad

Putting the salad together

  1. To start, prep the ingredients. Slice and dice the cucumber in a large bowl add cucumbers and salt them heavy. Cover the bowl then place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the cucumbers, drain the excess water then rinse the salt off and lightly pat dry. Then, half the tomatoes.
  2. In a large bowl or salad bowl, toss all the ingredients in you just cut up.
  3. Then, drain the mozzarella pearls because they are bought in water. Add those into the bowl.
  4. Now, zest a lemon over the cucumber caprese salad then toss everything together until even.
  5. Make the dressing to the side then add to the salad, giving the salad a good toss in the flavors. Taste for salt then garnish the salad with black pepper. Serve.
  6. Quick tip, when serving giving the salad a toss before taking a serving because overtime the dressing 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.

Cucumber caprese salad

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.

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Cucumber caprese salad

Cucumber caprese salad

Cucumber caprese salad screams summer with fresh lemon, cucumber and tomatoes. Delicious fresh herbs and a tart, sweet balsamic vinegar dressing
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomato
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls
  • 1 zested lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 lemon, squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup basil, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped

Instructions
 

  • To start, prep the ingredients. Slice and dice the cucumber In a large bowl add cucumbers and salt them heavy. Cover the bowl then place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the cucumbers, drain the excess water then rinse the salt off and lightly pat dry. Then, half the tomatoes. 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.
  • To the side, mix all the ingredients together for the dressing (chopped herbs, oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar) then pour over the salad and toss it in. Give the salad a taste and adjust the salt levels to your liking. Garnish with pepper and serve.
  • Note, the dressing 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.

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Keyword Cucumber caprese salad
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