Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad made with fresh vegetables, mozzarella and a lovely red wine vinaigrette. Variation on a traditional caprese salad that’s loaded with veggies!
I found some incredible heirloom tomatoes at my local Farmer’s Market one day and to be honest, I planned this entire recipe around that tomato. It was perfectly ripe and juicy- yum! This salad is a variation on the traditional Caprese Salad- because I love vegetables and wanted to add more. So I did. And it was amazing! One of the best things about this salad is that it stores well. It might actually even be better the 2nd day, when the vegetables and fresh mozzarella have had a chance to absorb the deliciousness of the vinaigrette. Try it- you’ll love it.
What is garden vegetable Caprese salad?
It’s a mixture of all things good in life and tastes like summer. Packed with a ton of vegetables, flavor, and cheese we have a light and filling meal that’s perfect for hot summer days, a refreshing lunch, or an impressive dish to serve guests. While a Caprese salad is usually just vinaigrette, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, adding in the extra veggies really helps to make this dish feel complete and wonderful.
Ingredients for Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
For the salad you will need:
-Tomatoes: You will need 1 large tomato sliced into 1/2 inch chunks and 1-2 cups of grape tomatoes.
-Bell Peppers: We need about 1 cup of diced bell peppers, you can mix colors like I did.
-Cucumber: One diced cucumber will add a refreshing bite and crunch.
-Red Onion: We only need 2 Tablespoons of diced red onion to help add in some tangy sweetness.
-Fresh Mozarella: We need about 1/2 cup of chunked mozzarella cheese. You can buy fresh mozzarella pearls to save time if desired.
-Fresh Basil: With 1/4 cup of minced fresh basil we can get a good flavor throughout the salad that helps to mimic a “real” Caprese salad.
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette you will need:
-Olive Oil: We need a 1/2 cup of olive oil to be the salad dressing base. It helps to infuse flavors and distribute them all nicely throughout the salad.
-Seasonings: With a teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, and salt we can have a very flavorful dressing.
-Sugar: Just 1/2 teaspoon of sugar will help to cut down on acidity without making the dressing sweet.
-Red Wine Vinegar: Helping us to turn our dressing into a vinaigrette is 2/3s cup of red wine vinegar.
How to make Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
To make the salad first start by washing all of the produce.
Dice and chop everything as needed or requested by the recipe card below.
In a large bowl, toss together all of the sliced, chopped, and diced veggies with the prepared dressing and serve.
Make the red wine vinaigrette by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until well combined.
Enjoy!
Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
Ingredients
Garden Vegetables
- 1 large tomato sliced into 1/2" chunks
- 1-2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 cup diced bell peppers
- 1 whole cucumber, diced
- 2 Tbsp diced red onion
- ½ cup diced fresh mozzarella chunks
- ¼ cup fresh basil, minced
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- ⅔ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Wash all produce. Dice/ chop/ mince to your heart's content. Feel free to add other vegetables! More favorites include zucchini, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
- Toss salad together with vinaigrette and serve.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to mix.
Nutrition
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Is a Caprese salad healthy?
Yes, a Caprese salad can be a very healthy meal option assuming you don’t over-do it on the mozzarella cheese. With so many nutrients and vitamins from the vegetables, this low calorie dish is perfect for many diets.
Is Caprese salad served cold or at room temperature?
Depending on where you are, you may find it served either way. Traditionally it is served at room temperature, but you can serve it either way.
Does Caprese salad need to be refrigerated?
Yes, after you’ve finished eating, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I find that this salad even tastes better the next day!
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Made with fresh mozzarella, fresh veggies, and a lovely homemade red wine vinaigrette, this twist on a traditional Caprese salad will surely impress! Make a Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad soon to enjoy the wonderful tastes that summer has to offer.
Chloe Crabtree says
I am in veggie salad love! I have been trying to eat more vegetables lately, and honestly, I don’t like a lot of vegetables, but if I left out the peppers, I could eat this every single day! Pinning and sharing over at FB and G+!
Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory says
YUM! This looks so fresh and delicious. I am always craving crunchy, fresh veggies. I would totally devour this. Thanks for sharing! BTW, I totally have knife envy.
Charlene Asay says
This salad looks amazing. I just found your link from #Pinit Pin Party. Thanks for sharing.
Kristen @ Musings of an Average Mom says
This recipe look so yummy! Also need to try the dressing recipe to go with it – I love fresh salads and this will be great as the veggies are just coming into season around here. Thanks! Found from the Pin n Tell link party.
Charlene Asay says
This salad looks amazing. Thanks for sharing your post. I am going to have to make this salad. What a great summer dish.