Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad Recipe: Low Calorie Vegetarian Dinner

This roasted tomato Caprese salad is a twist on the classic recipe. Made with tomato, cheese, basil and avocado, this is an easy salad to make as a side dish. It’s also perfect to serve as a vegetarian lunch or dinner idea on hot summer nights. You’ll love how quick and easy this Caprese salad is to prepare, even on busy weeknights.

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I live in the South, and it gets hot in the summer. After the heat of the day, I’m just not in the mood for a heavy dinner. I also don’t want to turn on my oven and heat up the house even more than it already is.

This roasted tomato salad is easy to make on the stove. It’s ready in about 10 minutes, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. Eat it as a vegetarian dinner, or serve it as a light side dish with grilled meat or pasta.

A traditional Caprese salad is served at room temperature, but this roasted tomato salad is served warm. Roasting the tomatoes gives them more depth to their flavor. It makes them rich and almost makes this Caprese salad recipe taste like lasagna.

The flavors of the tomatoes, basil and cheese come together to create a simple but delicious roasted tomato Caprese salad. Since this is a simple dish, I recommend using the highest quality ingredients that you can find. I find that finding bocconcini cheese is best, but a high quality mozzarella cheese will also make a good substitution for this easy dinner recipe.

This Caprese salad recipe is easy to modify. You can change the dressing that you use and the cheese, so you can make it to complement your main dish or just change the flavor if you serve it often.

What Makes Something Caprese?

A Caprese salad is a traditional Italian main dish or side dish. If a salad is Caprese, it means that it is usually made with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s said to be a nod to the Italian flag with red, green and white foods layered on a plate.

Is Caprese Salad Healthy?

Yes, this roasted tomato Caprese salad is healthy. It’s low in calories and made with fresh ingredients. I also added some avocado for additional good fats. In addition, it’s also naturally flavored with fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Should Caprese Salad Be Chilled?

No, a Caprese salad should never be chilled. You would use room temperature ingredients to assemble the classic dish.

This is a roasted tomato Caprese salad. It should be served warm but not hot.

What is the Best Cheese for Making a Caprese Salad Recipe?

Traditionally, a Caprese salad recipe is made with mozzarella cheese. For the best cheese to make a Caprese salad, look for a high quality mozzarella. For the best flavor, look for a mozzarella made with water buffalo milk instead of cow’s milk.

Is Bocconcini Cheese the Same as Mozzarella?

Bocconcini cheese is very similar to mozzarella cheese. Bocconcini and mozzarella are made similarly, but mozzarella has an extra step in the production process. After it’s made, the curd is cut to get of excess moisture so it can be shredded easier.

Bocconcini are smaller pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese. It’s usually packed in salty water to keep it fresh. Both Bocconcini and mozzarella can be made from cow’s milk or the milk from water buffalo.

I prefer bocconcini cheese in my roasted tomato salad, but you can certainly use a good mozzarella cheese instead.

What Does Bocconcini Cheese Taste Like?

Bocconcini cheese has a delicate taste and smell. It has an almost buttery and sweet flavor. It’s more elastic than mozzarella cheese as it contains more moisture than mozzarella.

How Do You Roast Tomatoes to Make a Roasted Tomato Salad?

I roast tomatoes for this roasted tomato Caprese salad on the stove top. To roast tomatoes, simply cut your tomatoes into quarters and place them face down in the skillet. Cook for about two minutes and then flip. Cook for another two minutes or until roasted.

How Long Do Roasted Tomatoes Last in a Roasted Tomato Salad?

Roasted tomatoes are good for about a week in the fridge. However, when they are in this roasted tomato salad, it’s best to eat it within 5 days of making it. Always store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.

Tips for Making the Best Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

For a delicious roasted tomato Caprese salad, follow these tips:

• Use the highest quality ingredients that you can find.
• Add oregano instead of or in addition to the basil.
• Use fresh ripe roma tomatoes for the best roasted tomato salad. You can also use cherry tomatoes.
• Add balsamic vinegar or another clear vinegar or lemon juice.
• Use a high quality mozzarella or bocconcini cheese. Look for water buffalo cheese if available.

What to Serve With Caprese Salad

Here are some delicious dinner ideas that you can serve with this roasted tomato caprese salad:

• Roasted chicken
• Meatballs
• Salami
• Pasta
• Homemade bread

What Wine Goes Well With Caprese Salad?

This roasted tomato Caprese salad is made with simple ingredients, but the tomatoes do have acid in them. Therefore, stay away from a red wine because the acid in the tomatoes can make the tannins in a red wine seem harsh.

Oaky white wines are not acidic enough, but crisp white wines generally pair well with the acid in a roasted tomato salad. Sparkling wines and Rose also pair well with roasted tomato Caprese salad.

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad Ingredients

To make a roasted tomato salad, you will need the following ingredients:

• Roma tomatoes
• Avocado
• Bocconcini cheese
• Fresh basil
• Robust olive oil for salads and marinades
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

How to Make Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

Follow these steps to make a Caprese salad recipe:

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with a large drizzle of olive oil, or about one Tablespoon. (You can also use avocado oil.)
2. While pan preheats, chop the roma tomatoes into quarters. Place the tomatoes face down in the skillet once hot. Now cook the tomatoes for two minutes. Flip, then cook tomatoes for an additional two minutes or until roasted.
3. Peel the avocado and remove the pit while the tomatoes roast. Chop the avocado into bite sized pieces.
4. Now combine the roasted tomatoes, chopped avocado and bocconcini cheese in a large bowl.
5. Drizzle the salad with about a Tablespoon of olive oil, or to suit. Stir the salad gently, then top with chopped basil leaves.
6. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe makes three side salads or two main dishes. Serve this roasted tomato Caprese salad immediately, while still warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Yield: 2 servings

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

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This roasted tomato Caprese salad is a twist on the classic recipe. It's an easy vegetarian salad to make as a side dish or quick dinner.

Prep Time 6 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 Roma tomatoes
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 Cup Bocconcini cheese
• ½ Cup fresh basil
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, fine ground
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, fine ground

Instructions

1. Preheat a large skillet with a large drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Chop the roma tomatoes into quarters. Then place the tomatoes face down in the skillet once hot. Cook the tomatoes for two minutes. Flip, then cook tomatoes for an additional two minutes or until roasted.
3. Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Chop the avocado into bite sized pieces.
4. Combine the roasted tomatoes, chopped avocado and bocconcini cheese in a large bowl.
5. Drizzle the salad with olive oil. Then stir the salad gently and top with chopped basil leaves.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

As a side dish, this roasted tomato Caprese salad recipe serves 3 with each serving consisting of 428 calories.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 642Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 1741mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 9gSugar: 6gProtein: 27g

This post originally appeared on Becca Ink.

If you like my recipe for Caprese salad with roasted tomatoes, then you may also like this quick and easy beet and spinach salad recipe. It also makes a lightweight meal idea or side salad.

You can discover more quick dinner recipes and salad ideas when you follow Soap Deli News on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Alternately, you can also subscribe to my newsletter.