Cucumber Mozzarella Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Clear Vinaigrette
By Mason Brooks
Prep
10 min
Total
10 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
This cucumber and mozzarella salad can be prepared in 10 minutes without cooking and eaten right away. Thickly sliced English cucumber and cherry tomatoes are mixed with a clear vinaigrette and mozzarella balls. Herbs and ground pepper go over the top.
I combine oil, vinegar, and salt in a dish until no undissolved salt pieces remain and the salad dressing in the dish has a glossy appearance. Thick cucumber slices prevent the salad dressing from forming puddles on top of the salad. Large serving spoons make it easy to toss salad without damaging the thick cucumber slices. Small balls of mozzarella cheese can be evenly mixed into the salad with little effort.
For this dish, use a shallow white ceramic dish to serve the salad, allowing the dressing to drip down over the cucumber and tomato pieces. Warm sourdough discard focaccia is a good side dish to sop up the dressing. Sweet lemon sugar cookies are a good dessert choice.
Use a medium mixing bowl if one is available to serve the salad. Shallow sides on the mixing bowl help you see the dressing on the outside of the salad. A white ceramic serving dish offers good color contrast. Adding basil or parsley adds green. I simply use fresh basil or parsley stored in my refrigerator.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Ten minutes of preparation time, No stove or oven required. No special equipment needed.
- A large bowl for mixing and a smaller bowl for making the vinaigrette, which you add at a later step.
- English cucumbers do not have to be peeled, which can save preparation time, English cucumbers are ready to eat.
- Mozzarella pearls don't need to be sliced or cut because they are small and can be eaten whole. No cheese requires slicing after draining.
- Thick half-moons can be tossed and maintain cucumber crunch.
- Serve with steak bowls, pork tenderloin, chicken sandwiches, and focaccia as cold side dishes with dinner.
Ingredients
- •1 large English cucumber (sliced into thick half-moons, about 2 cups (300g))
- •1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (drained and patted dry (150g))
- •1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved (150g))
- •3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for the dressing (45ml))
- •1 tbsp white wine vinegar (for the dressing (15ml))
- •½ tsp kosher salt (to taste (3g))
- •2 tbsp fresh green herbs (finely chopped, parsley or basil (10g))
- •½ tsp coarse black pepper (freshly cracked (1g))
Instructions
- 1
Wash the English cucumber and pat it dry.
- 2
Slice the cucumber into thick half-moons.
- 3
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into halves.
- 4
Drain the mozzarella pearls from their brine and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- 5
Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, and kosher salt in a small bowl.
- 6
Whisk vigorously until the salt is fully dissolved and the dressing is thin and clear.
- 7
Add the cucumber, tomatoes, and mozzarella pearls to a large mixing bowl.
- 8
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad.
- 9
Gently toss with large spoons until the ingredients are evenly mixed and glistening.
- 10
Transfer the salad to a shallow serving bowl.
- 11
Sprinkle the chopped fresh herbs over the salad.
- 12
Dust with coarse black pepper and serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
185
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