Tomato-Mozzarella Salad Recipe

Southern Living Tomato Mozzarella Salad on a platter to serve — Photo:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Servings:

Juicy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella belong together in a tomato-mozzarella salad. In the summer, tomatoes still warm from the sun pair beautifully with fresh basil and buttery cheese. But to make it more Southern, we're dressing it all with a bacon-garlic dressing that's so good you may lick the plate.

Most tomato-mozzarella salads lean toward Italian flavors, with basil and balsamic vinegar. These are similar to the classic Caprese salad. But we had to make it Southern, of course. So grab your tomatoes, fry some bacon, and get ready for an unforgettable summer salad.

A Classic Summer Side: Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

You're going to love the bacon-garlic dressing! You’ll get all the nuanced flavors from the ingredients—floral basil, smoky bacon, sweet and malty cane syrup against the juicy tomato and buttery mozzarella. It’s a great combination of flavors for a classic tomato salad!

The dressing is a fantastic technique to save for later, too: Build a dressing with garlic without it feeling overwhelmingly garlicky by grating it into the dressing so that it melts into the bacon drippings. The dressing melds the dish's sweet and aromatic flavors together, and it would be a really fun dish for a potluck when people are looking for something fresh and bright against loads of comfort foods.

Ingredients for Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

This simple tomato salad comes together quickly and is best served still warm. Here's what you should get from the fridge and pantry:

Bacon: You'll need just a few slices to get enough bacon drippings for the salad dressing.
Garlic: It'll be grated so that it melts into the warm drippings and infuses the dressing with garlicky flavor.
Cane syrup or sorghum syrup: We like the slightly malty, fermented flavor of these syrups over plain sugar for this salad.
Apple cider vinegar: Every salad dressing needs acidic tang, and this is balanced with the rest of the dressing.
Grapeseed oil or canola oil: A great neutral oil will let the rest of the ingredients shine.
Dijon mustard: This helps emulsify the dressing.
Basil: A classic combination with tomatoes and mozzarella.
Cherry tomatoes: All of the same color or a combination, it's up to you!
Small mozzarella cheese balls: Or evenly chop a larger ball if you can't find the mozzarella pearls.
Flaky sea salt: This gives little bursts of salt to the salad instead of an overall salty flavor.

Southern Living Tomato Mozzarella Salad ingredients — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

This salad comes together in minutes and is best served fresh, so save this until the last minute for the best results.

Step 1. Cook the bacon: Pan fry the bacon to crispy. Don't let the drippings burn.
Step 2. Separate bacon and drippings: Use a mesh sieve. You'll get about 2 tablespoons of drippings.
Step 3. Make the dressing. Whisk the garlic into the bacon drippings. Add cane syrup, vinegar, oil, and mustard. Whisk to combine, then sprinkle in basil.
Step 4. Combine tomatoes and cheese: In a large bowl, stir together the cherry tomatoes. Add the bacon.
Step 5. Add dressing: Toss dressing with tomatoes, bacon, and cheese. Garnish and serve.

What To Serve With Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

This dish is so great it can almost stand on its own as a light summer meal. Just add buttered bread. Or as a side dish, serve it with pan-fried pork chops, crispy chicken cutlets, or anything on a potluck spread!

If served as an appetizer, spoon it over buttery crostini.

How To Store Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

The bacon drippings in the dressing will solidify when chilled, so this salad is best served warm. However, if you have leftovers, just be sure to let the salad sit at room temperature for a few minutes, stirring again before serving. This way, the dressing will coat all the tomatoes and cheese.

In the fridge, stored in an airtight container, leftover tomato-mozzarella salad will last up to 3 days. It may get a bit watery, so it's best to eat it sooner.

More Summer Sides Recipes

Fill a potluck or party spread with more easy side dish recipes, like these:

Ingredients

2 thick-cut bacon slices (3 oz. total), chopped
1/2 tsp. grated garlic (from 1 medium garlic clove)
1 1/2 Tbsp. cane syrup or sorghum syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil or canola oil
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, plus small leaves for garnish
2 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz. fresh small mozzarella cheese balls
Flaky sea salt

Directions

Cook bacon:

Heat a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Reserve bacon drippings:

Immediately pour bacon and drippings through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium-size heatproof bowl. Reserve bacon and drippings separately.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add garlic:

Add garlic to drippings in bowl, and whisk until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Make bacon dressing:

Whisk syrup, vinegar, oil, and mustard into garlic mixture until fully combined.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Whisk in chopped basil. Set aside.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Mix tomatoes and mozzarella into dressing:

Place tomatoes, mozzarella, and cooked bacon in a medium bowl. Add dressing to tomato mixture, and toss to coat.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Arrange salad on a platter. Garnish with small basil leaves and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.