Heirloom Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Here's a recipe for an heirloom tomato mozzarella salad -- perfect for the heirloom tomatoes we see in July and August. Use this recipe as a template for any tomato salad you like -- it's very versatile and flexible to whatever herb or cheese you want to use with it. With bright tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fresh herbs, and the perfect mix of olive oil, salt, and vinegar, this tomato salad will be a hit. It's naturally gluten-free and keto, as well, with only 1.5 net carbs per serving.

What is an heirloom tomato?

When heirloom tomatoes start showing up at the farmers market and supermarkets, I get so excited. An heirloom tomato is different from a regular tomato in that it is grown specifically to be ripe in the summertime, has a thinner skin, much juicier flavor, and oftentimes comes in colors like yellow or green. There are a ton of varieties of heirloom tomato. Some favorites are the brandywine, the Black Russian, and hillybilly tomato.

I used brandywine heirloom tomatoes in this salad, but whatever heirloom tomato you get at the market will work just fine.

The origin of the caprese salad

Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil, occasionally paired with arugula. Similar to a pizza Margherita, it features the colors of the Italian flag: green, white, and red.

A caprese salad is generally eaten as an appetizer, not as a side dish.

How to make a summer tomato salad

Making an heirloom tomato salad is more assembly than cooking. Get organized with all your ingredients first.

Slice 1 tomato per person - I used 4 tomatoes for 4 people - into ¼ inch slides.

Slice 1 blob of fresh mozzarella for every 2 people - I used 2 mozzarellas for 4 people - also into ¼ inch slices. I actually used burrata here, which is a mozzarella with a creamy center, because I love burrata 🙂

Chop fresh herbs - for 4 people, I used 1 cup of fresh chopped herbs and I did a mix of parsley and mint. The traditional option is basil, of course, but I love mint in savory settings so thats what I went with.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar on top. I used extra virgen olive oil and sherry vinegar, but you could use balsamic or apple cider vinegar.

Finish with some flaky salt. Ta da!

For more tomato recipes from me, see my archive of tomato recipes. Thanks for cooking!!!

Top questions about making a summer tomato salad

Can this tomato salad be made in advance?

• Yes! You can make it 1 day ahead of time

How is it stored? For how long?

• Transfer to a tupperware or cover the plate with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. It will last for 2-3 days.

Which ingredients (flavors) are dominant? How would you intensify, or mellow out these flavors?

• This is all about in-season tomatoes, which are sweet, tart, and umami. If you don't like tomatoes, you could make this with peaches or nectarines to make it more of a sweet/tart flavor profile.

Is this tomato and mozzarella salad vegetarian? Vegan? Gluten free? Keto? Low carb?

• This recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan with mozzarella.
• It's naturally gluten-free, low carb, and keto. It has 1.5 net carbs.

 Can this be made spicy?

• Yes -- since it's a saucy dish already with the juicy tomatoes and olive oil/vinegar, I would add dry red pepper flakes or a dry spice to this.