Caprese Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis caprese quinoa salad recipe is a bright fresh appetizer, loaded with cherry tomatoes and basil, hearty cooled quinoa & tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. This salad is creamy, flavorful, and covered in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
This easy salad is simple to make ahead of time for lunch, and makes a fantastic summer appetizer for your next barbecue, cookout, or get together.
This caprese quinoa salad recipe is our go-to summer lunch, perfect with garden tomatoes and topped with a drizzle of homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This is a great starter salad, but hearty enough to enjoy as a whole meal – served with thick and crusty bread.
Fresh mozzarella balls packed in water give this salad a savory salty bite! And don’t be intimidated by making your own salad dressing – it only takes a few minutes and couldn’t be easier. Add all your ingredients to a bowl or a mason jar with a lid, stir or shake, and dress your salad!
This Caprese Quinoa Salad Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Creamy
- Herby
- Salty
- Tangy
- Vegetarian & Gluten Free
Modern Salad Recipes You’ll Love
This caprese quinoa salad is great all year long – you can find sweet cherry tomatoes all year long in grocery stores, which work fantastically in this salad. Salads are super versatile, and can be enjoyed any time of year with fresh produce.
Browse all our modern salad recipes, which can be dressed up or down for any occasion.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Tomatoes, Basil, & Fresh Spinach
- Fresh mozzarella balls – I used this Ciliegine which means “cherry sized” in Italian.
- Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I like to use a fruity olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s inexpensive & I like to keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry.
- White Quinoa: I used this fantastic white quinoa, but you can use red or multicolored. You can cook quinoa on the stove top, in the Instant Pot (my preferred method), quinoa in the rice cooker. This quinoa is a fantastic addition to salads, soups, or wraps… a great plant-based protein you can feel good about eating.
- Aged Balsamic Vinegar: I use this aged balsamic vinegar glaze because it has a really great flavor and a thick consistency perfect for drizzling on this garlic bread recipe!
- Tellicherry Peppercorns: It’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper.
How To Make This Recipe
- Cook the quinoa: in a medium sized pot, add the quinoa and water, bring to a boil, then cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the water, fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool.
- Slice the tomatoes, and halve the mozzarella balls. I used a mix of cherry tomatoes for color – but pick the sweetest and most in-season tomatoes you can find (usually cherry tomatoes are my go-to off season).
- In a serving bowl, add the cooled quinoa, tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella. Top with the fresh shredded basil. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad and crack fresh black pepper over the salad.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy!
More Modern Salad Ideas You’ll Love!
- Antipasto Chopped Salad Recipe
- Summer Berry Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing
- The Best BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing
- Low Sodium Chopped Salad Recipe
- Keto Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
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Caprese Quinoa Salad
Equipment
- Medium Pot
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup fresh basil cut into ribbons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon tellicherry black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: in a medium sized pot, add the quinoa and water, bring to a boil, then cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the water, fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool.
- Slice the tomatoes, and halve the mozzarella balls. I used a mix of cherry tomatoes for color – but pick the sweetest and most in-season tomatoes you can find (usually cherry tomatoes are my go-to off season).
- In a serving bowl, add the cooled quinoa, tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella. Top with the fresh shredded basil. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad and crack salt and fresh black pepper over the salad.
Nutrition
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Love my salads and this one is a keeper for sure