Kate’s Best Tomato Basil Salad Recipe
Nothing screams summer like a fresh tomato basil salad. My favorite recipe combines sharp shallots, sweet ripe tomatoes, and fragrant basil. Drizzling it with the most excellent olive oil you can find and nestling in some fresh mozzarella makes it truly divine.

Ever since spotting the first heirloom tomatoes at the farmer’s market last week, I haven’t been able to get this tomato basil salad out of my mind. This is a required salad in the summer at our house and I wanted to share it with you.
Chunks of cheese, fresh tomatoes, and tons of aromatic basil. I can already see you making this again and again… it really is that good. And EASY! This is my favorite version of caprese salad, featuring the best summer produce, the small bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella, and probably too much basil.
Serve it with my favorite skirt steak or these vinegar and spice baby back ribs.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Tomato Basil Salad
- Makes a big batch, the perfect size to feed a crowd
- Great make-ahead salad option
- Travels well and great for parties
- Awesome for meal prep. Tomatoes marinate in the fridge making it even tastier.
- No cooking required!

Grab These Ingredients:

See recipe card for exact amounts.
- Tomatoes. Use tomatoes that are sweet, ripe, and firm; not too soft or they’ll fall apart in the salad. See below for more details.
- Shallots. These add some nice bite. You could also use thinly sliced red onions.
- Olive oil. Splurge for some really good extra virgin olive oil since it will be a predominant flavor. If you live in the US, I prefer olive oils from California since they tend to be fresher than imported olive oils. Of course if you live in Europe, you will have no trouble finding amazing olive oil.
- Balsamic vinegar. Again, get a nice balsamic. Unlike the olive oil, I look for ones imported from Italy. Balsamic doesn’t go bad with age like olive oil does. Red wine vinegar would also work in a pinch.
- Ciliegine Mozzarella Cheese. These are the small balls of fresh mozzarella. Ciliegine is similar to the word cherry in Italian, meaning they are about the size of cherries. Other cheese options would be feta cheese or blue cheese.
- Flaky sea salt. I can’t resist a good crunchy sea salt with tomatoes but kosher salt would also work.
- Fresh cracked black pepper. A generous sprinkle—it’s just the best!
- Red pepper flakes. I love a tiny touch of heat. Leave it off if you’re not a fan.
- Fresh basil leaves. Thinly sliced and added at the end. I like to use a combination of Italian and purple basil for color. Of course you can use lots of other herbs or a combination like oregano, parsley, or dill.
You’ll want to toss all the salad ingredients, except the basil, together in a large bowl and ideally let it sit out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to give the tomatoes and mozzarella balls some time to soak up all the flavors from the dressing ingredients.

I give you specific measurements for salt and pepper that I think make the best version of the recipe. That being said, make sure you taste a tomato or two before serving to make sure it is enough. This will depend greatly on the tomatoes you use.

If you are making this ahead, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at this point up to two days in advance.


Right before serving, thinly slice the basil (aka basil chiffonade) and stir it in. You don’t want to combine basil with the other ingredients too far in advance because it will loose flavor and aroma.
At this point all you need is some good crusty bread to soak up all those incredible juices.

What Are The Best Tomatoes For Tomato Salad?
If you have access to garden tomatoes or ones from the farmer’s market, those are the best ones to use because they are going to be picked at peak ripeness. But even grocery store tomatoes can be pretty good in the summer.
For any tomato salad recipe where tomatoes are the star, the types of tomatoes don’t matter quite as much as the quality. Grape tomatoes, ripe cherry tomatoes, or even larger tomatoes are all great options as long as they are sweet, full of flavor, and firm (but not hard).
Serving Suggestions
This summer tomato salad is an all-purpose summer dish. It’s the perfect light and fresh main course dinner for hot summer days when you don’t feel like cooking, but it’s also the perfect side dish to share at a summer party or backyard BBQ.
If you can’t get enough tomato salads, be sure to also try my cucumber tomato salad (this one has avocado) or my lentil barley salad.


Kate’s Best Tomato Basil Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet ripe fresh tomatoes, sliced, quartered or halved (see recipe notes)
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces Ciliegine fresh mozzarella cheese, drained
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more whole leaves for serving.
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, shallot and mozzarella with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Gently toss until everything is mixed well. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so the flavors can meld and combine.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or balsamic vinegar if needed. Add the 1 cup thinly sliced basil and toss again.
- Serve in the bowl or arrange on a platter with more basil leaves if you'd like.
Notes
- Tomatoes: Use whichever tomatoes are freshest and most flavorful. It’s nice to have a variety of colors and sizes. I like to slice the larger tomatoes and lay them on the serving platter first, then pile the rest of the salad on top of them.
- Mozzarella: My favorite is the bite-sized Ciliegine or Bocconicini which are a little larger. If you can’t find these, use the larger balls of fresh mozzarella and cut it into pieces.
- Serving suggestions: In my opinion all you need with this is good crusty bread. Rub a few slices with garlic and olive oil and toast or grill for a few minutes to make it extra special.
- Make ahead: This is a great make-ahead salad. The longer the tomatoes and mozzarella sit in the dressing the better they taste. You can make this up to 2 days in advance and keep in the fridge. Add the basil right before serving.
I can’t possibly be the first person to realize this, but in case I am I have a handy tip for slicing the basil leaves. Lay 3 or 4 similar sized leaves on top of each other, roll them into a log and then slice the way you would a jelly roll. Saves a lot of time and gives nice thin even slices!
Great tip! Thanks Lorna