Description
This Cucumber Caprese Salad recipe is quick and easy to make with just 5 main ingredients, and delicious on its own or mixed with pasta to make a pasta salad recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 English cucumber, quartered and thinly-sliced (and peeled, if you prefer)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces mozzarella (baby mozzarella balls or diced mozzarella)
- 1/2 cup firmly-packed fresh basil leaves, julienned
- 1–2 tablespoons balsamic glaze, store-bought or homemade*
- sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- optional: 8 ounces uncooked pasta of your choice (I used orecchiette)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze. Then toss to combine.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed (I used a generous pinch of each) and add more balsamic glaze if you would like.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
- Optional: If you would like to add in pasta, cook the pasta according to package instructions in a generously-salted pot of boiling water until it is al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water in a colander until chilled. Then stir the pasta into your cucumber salad, adding an extra tablespoon or two of the balsamic glaze plus salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
*To make homemade balsamic glaze, just add a half cup or so or balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering, uncovered, until the vinegar reduces into a glaze that is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and serve!