Avocado Tomato Caprese Salad | Elizabeth Rider
If you love the traditional Caprese salad but want to give it a fresh, creamy twist, this Avocado Tomato Caprese Salad is your new go-to.
Whether you’re out of cheese, trying to omit or eat less dairy, or simply have a ripe avocado to use up, subbing out the mozzarella for avocado in Caprese salad makes for a wonderful (and beautiful!) dish.
Perfect for summer or anytime you crave something light yet satisfying, this salad combines the classic flavors of ripe tomatoes and basil with the creamy richness of avocado. Itâs an easy, no-cook recipe that comes together in minutes, making it ideal for when you need something quick.
Why Youâll Love This Recipe:
- Quick & Easy: Ready in under 10 minutes, this salad is perfect for busy days.
- Healthy & Nutritious: Packed with healthy fats from the avocado and fresh, whole ingredients.
- Crowd-pleaser: Whether you serve it as an appetizer or a side dish, everyone loves this unique twist on the classic caprese.
Avocado Tomato Caprese Salad Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Look for ripe, in-season tomatoes as they’ll be sweeter in flavor and sweeter on your wallet, too. I used a beautiful yellow heirloom tomato in the photos here.
- Avocado: The measurements of all ingredients are flexible in this salad. For the avocado, one small avocado serves two people. One large avocado serves four.
- Optional: Watermelon radish: Watermelon radish is a pretty green and pink type of radish. I love it here for the color and extra flavor. It has a mild radish flavor (doesn’t taste anything like watermelon)âit can be omitted if you can’t find one or prefer not to use it. I find the flavor of a regular radish too strong for this dish.
- Balsamic + Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Look for aged balsamic vinegar as it will be thicker and sweeter (it’s better for drizzling). I used Napa Valley Naturals Grand Reserve Aged Balsamic Vinegar and found it for a good price on Thrive Market. I also use Thrive Market organic extra virgin olive oil.
- Fresh Basil: Grow your own in a small pot on your patio if you can. A starter organic basil plant is usually less than $5 and can grow basil all summer long.
Need more inspiration? Find The 10 Best Summer Salads here.
Healthy avocado Caprese makes the perfect summer side dish or lunchâit’s quickly become one of my favorites to bring to a dinner party, potluck, BBQ, and enjoy at for a family meal, too.
Tips & Variations
- Look for ripe, in-season tomatoes. They’ll be sweeter in flavor and sweeter on your wallet, too.
- I like this avocado Caprese salad as-is and don’t even miss the cheese on it, but if you tolerate dairy then go ahead and throw some high-quality mozzarella on top to make it more traditional. I add the watermelon radish for crunch and color, but leave it out if you don’t have one.
- The recipe below is written to serve two, but this dish is easily doubled and can be made for larger crowds. I plan for one large tomato, one small avocado, and one small watermelon radish per two people when using this as a side dish.
- Slice the tomato and arrange on a plate.
- Slice the avocado and add in between the tomatoes.
- Thinly slice the watermelon radish on a mandoline and arrange on the plate (the watermelon radish can be omitted if you prefer.)
- Thinly slice the basil leaves and sprinkle on top of the salad.
- Sprinkle a few pinches of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over the ingredients.
- Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. The amounts are flexible, I used about three tablespoons of each in the photo here.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
– Servings of this recipe vary. I plan for one large tomato, one small avocado, and one small watermelon radish per person when using this as a side dish.
– Look for aged balsamic vinegar as it will be thicker and sweeter (it’s better for drizzling).
– Watermelon radish is a pretty green and pink type of radish. It has a mild radish flavor and can be omitted if you can’t find one or prefer not to use it. I find the flavor of a regular radish too strong for this dish.
If you make it, leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out.
