You absolutely have to try olive mozzarella salad.
It's basically a caprese salad with juicy heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, briny olives with an olive vinaigrette drizzled on top.
Take your summer tomato salad to the next level!
How to make olive mozzarella salad
Featured Ingredients
For the pesto:
- Green olives: Be sure they're pitted.
- Parsley: A bunch of fresh flat-leaf Italian.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves for pesto.
- Nuts: Walnuts or pine nuts.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated.
- Olive oil: Your favorite brand.
- Black pepper: Freshly grated.
For the salad:
- Tomatoes: In season fresh tomatoes are best, if available.
- Greek olives: Also pitted.
- Mozzarella or burrata: Fresh, fresh, fresh!
- Herbs: Basil and more parsley.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make the pesto:
- Place green olives, parsley, garlic, nuts and Parmesan cheese in a food processor.
- Pulse and slowly drizzle olive oil into the mixture until it forms a pesto-like texture.
- Mix in freshly ground black pepper.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
To make the salad:
- Arrange the tomatoes, olives, fresh cheese and herbs on a platter.
- Drizzle with olive oil and the green olive pesto.
- Sprinkle with a dash of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe Substitutions and Alterations
- For the olives: Use any pitted olive combination you enjoy.
- For the mozzarella: Use fresh mozzarella or burrata, any variety.
- For the herbs: Any combination of fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil and oregano, will taste delicious here.
- For the nuts: Any nut will work, I just enjoy walnut or pine best in my pesto.
Nutrition Considerations
- To make this gluten free: This recipe does not contain gluten.
- Be sure all ingredients you choose are gluten free.
- To make this dairy free: Skip the mozzarella/burrata in the salad and Parmesan in the pesto.
- You can use nutritional yeast as a sub for Parmesan, if desired.
- To make this vegan: Skip the mozzarella/burrata in the salad and Parmesan in the pesto.
- You can use nutritional yeast as a sub for Parmesan, if desired.
- To make this nut free: Skip the nuts in the pesto.
- Be sure all ingredients you choose are nut free.
- To make this egg free: This recipe does not contain eggs.
Serving and Storage Tips
- Serve on a big platter for a party or divvy up the salad in meal prep containers for an easy lunch or side dish.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Summer salads to try
- Fennel and Grape Potato Salad
- Strawberry Cucumber Salad
- Healthy Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Broccoli Salad with Sweet Lemon Dressing
- Green Bean Potato Salad
- Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
- Italian Tortellini Salad
Olive Mozzarella Salad
Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella or burrata, heirloom tomatoes, Greek olives and olive pesto.
- Prep Time: 10-15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 10-15 mins
- Yield: Serves 10 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pesto:
- 1 cup green olives, drained
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup walnuts or pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Dash freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
- 1 pint fresh tomatoes
- 6.7-ounce jar pitted green, black & kalamata olives, drained
- 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella or burrata, sliced
- 1 cup fresh basil and/or flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Dash coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make green olive pesto: Place green olives, parsley, garlic, nuts and Parmesan cheese in a food processor. Pulse and slowly drizzle olive oil into the mixture until it forms a pesto-like texture. Mix in freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Arrange tomatoes, olives, fresh cheese and herbs on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and green olive pesto. Sprinkle with a dash of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Substitution Tip: Use basil pesto instead of olive pesto, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of recipe
- Calories: 244
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 355mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 17mg
Debbie@Cooks with Cocktails says
I stuck around and I'm glad I did. I love olives too. Your salad looks amazing I cant wait to try it and the pesto looks yummy, Your pictures are beautiful too.
Julie Andrews says
Hi Debbie! OLIVES! They're the best. Thank you for sticking around 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I love a classic caprese salad and the fact that you turned it into an olive based version is just delicious! This looks SO good.
Julie Andrews says
Hi Thalia!! I am also a huge lover of Caprese and olives, so why not put them together?!?! Enjoy 🙂