With summer almost here and my garden doing rather nicely, I can’t help but want to promote one of my all time favorite Italian salads.
This quick recipe uses 4 ingredients: tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil.
Key word here is “fresh”! No canned tomatoes, no dried basil and no deli style mozzarella! Simply chop everything up and mix together in a bowl, then add some olive oil to taste.
If the tomatoes don’t have much flavor, that will impact the taste of the salad so make sure you have ones that are ripe and flavorful.
What makes this an Italian recipe?
Some may choose to call it a Mediterranean salad, but honestly, a Greek version would most likely use feta cheese instead of mozzarella, add some olives and even some red wine vinegar.
Can you use it for a picnic and let it sit out?
I wouldn’t let it sit out for too long – mainly because of the cheese. If you do, make sure to keep it chilled just as you would a mayo based potato salad.
Can you marinate it?
This salad can definitely marinate. Marinating helps blend the flavors together – especially the basil and the olive oil.
You could even get creative and make an olive oil/basil mixture first and then add it in along with the fresh basil.
What kind of meal to serve it with?
Well, I’m not the best when it comes to pairing foods, and I usually just eat this salad apart from any meals. I have had it as a side dish to any kind of pasta dish, however, I can truly confirm that serving it with something like a steak or hamburger is especially tasty and compliments the meal nicely.
I hope you find this recipe worth trying – it’s economical (especially if you grow your own tomatoes and basil), it’s easy and it is healthy!
Thanks and enjoy my video too! Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter if you haven’t already!
Ciao!
Liz from SimpleItalianCooking.com
