A huge chunk of mozzarella di bufala, bright red and ripe cherry tomatoes and marinated strips of zucchini. Add to it all a handful of creamy crunchy pine nuts, freshly harvested basil leaves and herbed croutons… Try out my tasty zucchini tomato mozzarella salad.
I can assure you that you are in for a real treat!
Well hey, what a pretty little colorful zucchini tomato mozzarella salad we got here!
I don’t know about you but I just love mozzarella. And not just any kind of this soft cheese. But the real deal: classic mozzarella di bufala or buffalo mozzarella.
Mozzarella
You know, the fresh one that you have to buy in a liquid bubble.
That type of creamy fresh cheese that is very easy to tear into chunks. And even more: it has that beautiful runny center in the middle. It is a bit like stracciatella that you can find in burrata.
Nope, by that I don’t mean the ice cream.
But the creamy heart of burrata.
It is more expensive than the other ones.
But worth every single dime.
Easy Marinated Zucchini Tomato Mozzarella Salad
So one day I bought one.
And if it had not been for the leftover cherry tomatoes and zucchini in my pantry I would have devoured the mozzarella just like that.
All in one go.
All it needs is a sprinkle of good quality olive oil and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Well the vegetables were a great match here and they also turned this one into a great veggie salad as well. I was looking for some extra crunch so I added the pine nuts and a handful of leftover herbed croutons that I normally sprinkle on top of caesar salads.
Roll Ups
Absolute bliss.
I could eat this stuff every single day.
Do you love making meals with fresh mozzarella di bufala?
Then you should also check out my zucchini, bacon and mozzarella roll ups!
Enjoy!
Easy Marinated Zucchini Tomato Mozzarella Salad Recipe
Mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and marinated zucchini with pine nuts, fresh basil and croutons!
- 7 oz fresh zucchini (200 g)
- 7 oz mozzarella di bufala (200 g)
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 tbsp herbed croutons for salads
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- good quality olive oil
- a handful fresh basil
- pepper
-
Rinse the zucchini and shave or slice it very thinly. This goes best with a mandolin slicer. Otherwise a sharp knife with a long blade will do. You can also use a vegetable peeler. Once you have sliced the zucchini, place the slivers on a microwave-resistant plate or tray.
-
Place the zucchini in the microwave and cook them for 2 minutes until soft. You can also grill them instead of using a microwave. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Do this in batches if necessary.
-
Combine the balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Lightly brush a medium baking dish with this mixture and place some slices of zucchini on top of it. The zucchini is fragile, try not the tear it.
-
Brush again lightly and top with some more zucchini. Sprinkle with a little pepper now and then. Keep brushing the zucchini slices until all have been used.
-
Brush one last time with the balsamic vinegar mixture to keep the top layer moist. Cover it with some cling film and let the zucchini marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Divide the marinated zucchini ribbons over plates. Top with some shredded fresh mozzarella di bufala and garnish your plates with sliced cherry tomatoes, the pine nuts, the croutons and the fresh basil. Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper and extra olive oil. Serve.
Delicious. Simple. Gorgeous. Did I mention that this looks really delicious?