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    Home » Salads

    Fresh Chopped Caprese Salad with Avocado

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    Published by Rebecca Eisenberg ⁠— October 5, 2020 (updated January 2, 2025) — Leave a Comment

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    This simple four-ingredient chopped caprese salad features creamy avocado! Filled with fresh flavor, it sparkles with just a bit of salt and pepper. Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar if you’re feeling fancy. This quick caprese salad is ready in only 5-10 minutes!

    It comes together even faster than my popular lettuce and walnut salad, and it's just as snacky and addictive as my shaved brussels sprouts salad!

    a long vertical overhead photo showing a white plate of caprese salad in the bottom center. at the top of the photo slightly cropped out on the left is a bowl of salad, and on the right is a bunch of fresh basil.

    This chopped caprese salad with avocado is the perfect reminder that food doesn't always have look pretty to taste really, really good. Whether you're looking for an easy salad with mozzarella or a quick salad with tomatoes, you're in the right place.

    Your standard caprese salad features thick slices of tomato, fresh mozzarella, and whole basil leaves arranged in artful layers on a plate or platter. Frequently it is topped with a gorgeous drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

    And while I love a caprese salad like that in a restaurant setting, on the average weeknight I'm going for speed, not art. And that's where a chopped caprese salad truly shines.

    Avocados might not be standard in a caprese salad, but in this chopped version they're a more than welcome addition. They add a fatty, somewhat earthy flavor to balance out the brininess of the cheese and the salty, sweet tomatoes.

    When this chopped caprese salad is on the table it's like Pringles ("Once you pop you can't stop"). I always reach for it first and don't start in on anything else until my bowl is empty. Every bite makes you want to take another bite. Because it's just so good! And it's so easy to make.

    Now, when I need to make quick lunches while working from home days, this quick salad with tomatoes is 100% the kind of easy recipe I reach for. Why not for dinners? Because my husband doesn't like raw tomato, unmelted cheese, or avocado other than in guac (my husband is wrong). But that's fine — more chopped caprese salad for me.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Plum or Roma Tomatoes - My preference is to use Roma or plum tomatoes because they handle the salt really well, but it's really up to you what kind of tomato you prefer. You can absolutely use cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, etc. whatever you like best!
    • Fresh Mozzarella - The good stuff, aka liquid packed, the kind that comes in a round ball instead of a brick, and definitely not the kind that comes pre-shredded in a bag. I usually use a 6 oz ball that I cut up myself, but you can also use the mini salad mozzarella pearls if you prefer.
    • Avocado - A large, ripe avocado. To check if an avocado is ripe, squeeze it gently — there should be a slightly amount of give to it with very little pressure.
    • Fresh Basil - Genovese basil works best for this salad, but I've also done it with thai basil in a pinch and it was just as good with that too!
    • Salt - Salt adds a ton of flavor but also draws out moisture from the tomatoes before you mix the salad so it's not too wet!
    • Pepper - Black pepper. I prefer freshly cracked for this salad, but if all you've got is the pre-ground stuff that's fine too.
    • Olive Oil - I like using a mild olive oil here, but if you're someone who likes a strong olive oil flavor just look for one that's not too bitter.
    • Balsamic Vinegar - A thick, aged balsamic vinegar makes for a really nice drizzle. Avoid balsamic glazes, they're a bit too watery.

    Recipe Instructions

    First, cut open your avocado to check that it's good. A ripe avocado will have a little give when you squeeze it. If your avocado isn't good, the rest of the salad isn't worth making so I always recommend cutting the avocado open first.

    Salt the avocado and cut it into ½" cubes. You can either cut it while it's in the peel and then scoop it out, or scoop it out and then cut it into cubes. You do you.

    two avocado halves, pit removed, on a small white cutting board. the avocado flesh has been scored in a diamond pattern with a small paring knife nearby.

    Next, move onto the tomatoes. Cut the plum tomatoes into large half-inch cubes and salt them generously. Salting is crucial — the salt begins drawing water out of the tomatoes as they sit, intensifying their flavor and enhancing their sweetness.

    diced tomato on a small white cutting board sprinkled with salt. a small scoop of salt sits nearby along with fresh mozzarella cheese.

    Then, move on to the fresh mozzarella. I prefer cutting it into cubes myself so that it matches the size of the diced tomato, but if you want to use the smaller balls of fresh mozzarella, by all means, go for it, no additional prep needed.

    an overhead shot of a ball of mozzarella cheese on a small cutting board. half the cheese has been cubed, the other is in slices. a knife rests on the board to the right. around the cutting board is a bunch of fresh basil, the package the cheese came in, a bowl of avocado, a bowl of chopped tomato, and some other food scraps.

    Mix everything together in a salad bowl, toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wait to add the thinly sliced basil last so that it stays bright and fresh as long as possible.

    That's it! Your easy salad with mozzarella is done! Give it a taste and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it, but otherwise it's ready to serve. Put quick salad with tomatoes on the table along with a bottle of balsamic vinegar on the side for anyone who wants to add a fancy drizzle.

    a bowl of caprese salad sits on a distressed white wooden table. an empty avocado skin is on the table behind it along with a pepper grinder, a cup of salt, and a bunch of fresh basil sits to the left of it. another plate of salad is barely cropped out in the background.

    Like I said, this is not always the prettiest salad. As you toss and stir everything together and the abrasive salt and freshly ground black pepper begin to break down the avocados, it will start to look a bit messy. But who cares??? It's tasty and that's what matters.

    I know my photos here are absolutely stunning (thank you, thank you) but I worked hard to arrange those bowls for the photos! On a normal night, if the avocado pits cooperate and pop out without a fight, I can get the whole salad on the table in about 5-10 minutes from start-to-messy-delicious-finish.

    Storage Notes

    This salad is best eaten immediately and does not store well. Avocado and basil both oxidize and brown quickly, making it unpleasant as leftovers.

    Practical Tips & Recipe Notes

    • At BJ's you can buy a 3-pack of 6-oz individually sealed pouches of Galbani fresh mozzarella that is so perfect for this salad.
    • If you want really pretty thinly sliced basil leaves, check out my post: "How to chiffonade basil."
    • Fresh basil grows really nicely in windowsill gardens or hydroponic gardens and is easy to snip and propagate so you always have fresh basil when you want it.
    • If you've ever wondered what salt and pepper do for a recipe try this recipe first without either, then add a generous sprinkle of both and taste again — you'll see just how much of a difference it makes.

    📖 Recipe

    an overhead shot of a chopped caprese salad in a bowl with a wooden spoon sticking out of it. on the wooden table next to it are two tomato slices, an empty avocado skin, and some fresh basil leaves.

    Fresh Chopped Caprese Salad with Avocado

    Rebecca Eisenberg
    This simple four-ingredient chopped caprese salad features creamy avocado! Filled with fresh flavor, it sparkles with just a bit of salt and pepper. Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar if you’re feeling fancy. This quick caprese salad is ready in only 5-10 minutes!
    No ratings yet
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 large avocado
    • 2 large plum tomatoes
    • 6 oz whole mozzarella (water packed, preferably)
    • 6-10 fresh basil leaves (thinly sliced)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½-1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • balsamic vinegar (optional, for drizzling)
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    Instructions
     

    • Open the avocado, removing and discarding the pit and skins. Cut into ½" cubes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and place in a medium mixing bowl.
    • Dice your tomatoes into ½" cubes. Sprinkle with salt to begin drawing water out and set aside.
    • Drain and cut the mozzarella into ½" cubes. Add to bowl with the avocado. Drain the tomatoes and add to the bowl as well.
    • Drizzle the salad with olive oil, another pinch of salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss gently to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
    • Immediately before serving, thinly slice (chiffonade) fresh basil leaves, add to the bowl, and stir to combine.
    • Serve with balsamic vinegar on the side for people to drizzle on their own, if desired.

    RECIPE NOTES

    • This salad is best same day, as the avocados begin to brown rather quickly.

    YOUR NOTES

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    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and let me how it was!
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