Avocado Caprese Salad

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This Avocado Caprese Salad is a perfect summer recipe. It's easy to make, highlights fresh, seasonal ingredients, and is full of flavor!

Since this salad is so simple, it's essential to have peak summer tomatoes that are ripe and bursting with summer-sunshine flavor. You'll combine the tomatoes with creamy avocado and fresh mozzarella for a delicious salad!

What is a Caprese Salad?

A traditional Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad - made from mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

When the mozzarella is salted and topped with balsamic it sort of melts in with the tomatoes and basil making for a flavorful salad.

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Why You'll Love this Caprese Salad with Avocado

This recipe is not only easy to assemble but also the perfect summer side dish! It's bursting with fresh flavors and juicy tomatoes.

The addition of avocado takes it over the top - it adds a creamy and bright component that takes the classic Caprese salad to a whole new level. The tangy balsamic glaze is also an essential addition to this salad - it's balsamic vinegar that's been reduced so it packs a real flavor punch!

This recipe saves well in the refrigerator and is even better the next day, as it allows more time for the tomatoes and mozzarella to marinate in the flavors.

Ingredients You'll Need

Tomatoes - You'll need 2 medium tomatoes - these can be Heirloom, Roma, Hot House (any type of ripe tomato will work) as well as 12 ounces of cherry tomatoes (I used a mix of colorful cherry and grape tomatoes).

Cheese - You'll use 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese balls (I used Ciliegine). You can use one large mozzarella ball and cut it into slices or chunks as well.

Avocado - You'll need 1 large ripe avocado (I used a Haas avocado)*

Herbs - You'll need 10 to 15 fresh basil leaves. You can tear these, roughly chop them, or chiffonade them.

Toppings - To top the salad, you'll need 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic glaze (balsamic reduction), ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

*When you're checking for ripe avocados, don't squish them (this will cause bruising), pop the stem at the top off - if it's yellow or green, the avocado is ready to eat!

How to Make a Caprese Avocado Salad

• To prepare your ingredients - slice the medium tomatoes, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the avocado and chop the basil.
• Arrange tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and avocado on a large plate or large bowl. 
• Drizzle with the olive oil, balsamic reduction, flaky sea salt, and ground black pepper.
• Garnish with the chopped fresh basil.
• Allow the salad to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the tomatoes, cheese, and avocado to marinate in the oil, balsamic, and salt.

More Delicious Summer Salads

If you love fresh summer produce, be sure to check out our full list of summer salads. Here are some of our all-time favorites:

• Cantaloupe Cucumber Salad Recipe - this refreshing and cooling salad is super easy to pull together.
• Watermelon, Blueberry, and Feta Salad - this festive salad with juicy summer watermelon is fun for a party.
• Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad - the perfect summer grilling recipe.
• Grilled Peach and Tomato Salad - juicy, ripe peach combined with tomatoes for a gorgeous and unique salad.

Tips for Making this Recipe

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Specialty Ingredients - You'll need a balsamic glaze for this recipe (that's different than regular balsamic vinegar). A balsamic glaze may also be called a balsamic reduction, you should be able to find it in any major grocery store.

Storing Tips - You can store this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It's actually even better after a day in the refrigerator - it allows the flavors to really come together!

Alternative Additions - If you want to make this recipe more of a meal, you can grill a few chicken breasts, cut them into strips, and add them to this salad.

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