Strawberry, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad. 6g net carbs. Keto-friendly, simple, yet lip-smackingly good.
It’s basically a classic Italian Caprese with a little summery twist. 10 minutes is all it takes to prepare it and serve it. Which makes it ideal when time is short.
There are only a few ingredients, but they combine to deliver a wonderful mix of textures and flavours.
Such a substantial salad makes a great lunch option. Alternatively, serve it at the end of a meal, and you might find that the sweet strawberry notes placate any dessert craving.
How To Make Strawberry, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Peak-season strawberries are sweet and juicy, so just a few will suffice. Cut them in half first, then slice them thinly.
Rather than use standard tomatoes, go for the cherry varieties. Aside bursting with juicy goodness, they supply a welcome crunch to what would otherwise be a soft texture dish. Currently, the most flavoursome ones are (U.K.) Morrison’s Piccolo Tomatoes.
Mozzarella can be found in every shop. For a more authentic Caprese, choose buffalo mozzarella, or stick to standard mozzarella. Just make sure it’s a ball in liquid type, not the dry block. I would avoid the little mozzarella pearls – they’re pretty tasteless.
A handful of fresh basil leaves adds a lovely fresh accent. Pile the leaves up neatly-ish and hold them in your hand as you use kitchen scissors to cut slivers. Much easier and less messy than using a knife, and the leaves don’t get crushed and limp.
Forget apple cider vinegar on this occasion. Balsamic vinegar has a unique flavour that enhances the overall dish. But beware of the very high sugar content in many brands and stay away from balsamic glaze. Filippo Berio’s Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has the lowest carbs (19g per 100g) I’ve ever seen in U.K. shops, so it’s the one I buy. Plus it comes in a small bottle, which is great for occasional use. Morrisons Balsamic Vinegar of Modena comes a close second, with 20g carbs per 100g.
No need to prepare the vinaigrette separately. Once you’ve added the cut tomatoes, strawberries, mozzarella and basil to your salad bowl, place it over scales and drizzle extra virgin olive oil as you weigh. Do the same for the balsamic vinegar. Add a generous sprinkle of Himalayan salt. Toss everything together and serve.
A simple yet mouthwatering summer meal ready in minutes.
Enjoy!
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Strawberry, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Ingredients
- 250 g Mozzarella di Bufala Campana or ordinary mozzarella (the type suspended in liquid)
- 160 g cherry tomatoes
- 70 g fresh strawberries - net weight from 80g fruit
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
- 15 g extra virgin olive oil (U.S. option HERE)
- 10 g balsamic vinegar of Modena (U.S. option HERE)
- 1 sprinkle fine himalayan pink salt (U.S. option HERE)
Instructions
- drain and cut the mozzarella into chunks; sharpen your knife and cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters; hull the strawberries, cut them in half and then slice them thinly; cut the basil leaves into slivers (kitchen scissors work best); transfer to a mixing bowl.
- place the bowl over scales and tare, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil as you weigh; tare and drizzle the balsamic vinegar, checking the weight.
- sprinkle generously with salt, toss and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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