July 4th Blueberry Tomato Caprese Salad
This easy July 4th Blueberry Tomato Caprese Salad is fresh, festive and bursting with sweet-savory flavor. It’s perfect for outdoor cookouts, summer entertaining and celebrating any patriotic holiday and is made in minutes.
When summer is in full swing, we bounce from one backyard barbecue to another, and sometimes I just want a simple, no-cook side when it comes to a holiday cookout. This July 4th Blueberry Tomato Caprese Salad is the perfect idea — red, white, and blue in color, and fresh, flavorful and complex in flavor, this side is an easy showstopper that comes together fast and requires minimal effort.
With ripe, juicy blueberries, vibrant tomatoes, adorable mozzarella stars and a drizzle of tangy balsamic vinegar, this July 4th Salad is a tasty twist on the traditional version with a touch of sweetness. It’s no-fuss and no-cook, so you can assemble it in no time, and the kids love using the star cookie cutter for the mozzarella cheese. The perfect side dish or starter for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day, this July 4th Salad is like fireworks for your tastebuds.
If you like the caprese flavors in this dish, try some of these other tomato, basil, and mozzarella packed recipes. This Tortellini Caprese Salad is fresh and flavorful, and we love our Easy One Pan Caprese Chicken for dinner any night of the week.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in Under 10 Minutes: With no cooking required, this comes together fast, in just minutes.
- Naturally Red, White, and Blue: Perfectly patriotic, this dish has all of the right colors in it without any artificial coloring needed.
- Impressive With Minimal Effort: With the help from a cookie cutter, the star-shaped mozzarella makes this dish look impressive without a lot of effort.
- Light, Fresh, and Healthy: This is a great addition and contrast to the usual backyard barbecue spreads loaded with heavier classic cookout dishes.
- Family Friendly: Kids and adults alike crave this dish — it’s a crowd-pleaser with all ages.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Ripe, bursting with sweet flavor and vibrant in color, we like cherry tomatoes, but you can also use grape tomatoes.
- Blueberries: Sweet and juicy, these pair perfectly with the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Mozzarella: Fresh, creamy and mild, I used BelGioioso Sliced Fresh Mozzarella Cheese so it would be easier to cut stars out.
- Basil: Fragrant and fresh, a key ingredient for any caprese salad.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Tangy and acidic, compliments the sweet berries and tomatoes.
- Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Salt & Pepper: Season generously, and adjust as needed.
How To Make Blueberry Tomato Salad
1. Wash blueberries and cherry tomatoes and drain.
2. Half cherry tomatoes and add to medium sized serving bowl. Add the blueberries, set aside.
3. Tear fresh basil over-top and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Mix gently to combine.
4. Slice mozzarella cheese into ¼ or ½” slices if not pre-sliced. Cut into small stars with a small star shaped cookie cutter.
5. Top the salad with the star cheese.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Use a Small Star Cookie Cutter: To get those cute patriotic mozzarella shapes, easily.
- Pat Mozzarella Dry: Do this gently to remove excess moisture before cutting to get clean shapes.
- Arrange in a Flag Pattern: To make it extra patriotic and for that “wow” factor, do this on a rectangular platter for presentation.
- Add Balsamic Glaze: Instead of plain balsamic vinegar, this will give you a richer, sweeter drizzle.
- Enjoy Fresh: This salad is best served the day of — it doesn’t hold well overnight once dressed.
Variations
- Try A Different Dressing: Swap balsamic for a honey-lemon dressing for a lighter flavor.
- Add Strawberries: Use strawberries sliced in half instead of cherry tomatoes for an even sweeter version.
- Season Before Serving: Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper before serving for the best flavor.
- Serve in Individual Cups: Or assemble on skewers for easy grab-and-go party portions.
Storage
This salad is really best assembled and served the same day. Leftovers don’t keep as well, as the texture and flavor turns mushy and not as fresh if it’s kept overnight. You can prep the components of this salad in advance, but we recommend waiting to dress until right before serving.
Store any undressed components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 day. Assemble and serve right before you’re ready to enjoy,
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep the components of this salad ahead of time, but we recommend waiting to dress until right before serving.
Fresh, sliced mozzarella is best for cutting with a cookie cutter since they’re uniform in thickness, but you can also thinly slice a ball of fresh mozzarella into even pieces and then use a cookie cutter.
Yes! Halved strawberries are just as delicious and vibrant in color for a sweeter caprese salad.
A homemade balsamic glaze is simple to make — bring balsamic vinegar to a boil and slowly reduce to a syrupy, thicker consistency, about 15-20 minutes. You can also add a touch of sugar, syrup or honey for extra sweetness.
More Patriotic Recipes
- Patriotic Layered Drink
- Red, White, and Blue Cheese board
- No Bake Berry Trifle
- Epic burger board
- Firecracker Popcorn
July 4th Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups blueberries
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons oil
- salt and pepper
- sliced mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Wash blueberries and cherry tomatoes and drain.
- Half cherry tomatoes and add to medium sized serving bowl. Add the blueberries, set aside.
- Tear fresh basil over-top and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Mix gently to combine.
- Slice mozzarella cheese into ¼ or ½” slices if not pre-sliced. Cut into small stars with a small star shaped cookie cutter.
- Top the salad with the star cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store any undressed salad components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 day. Assemble and serve right before you’re ready to enjoy,
- We don’t recommend storing leftovers as the texture can change — this salad is best assembled and served immediately.
