Caprese Salad Ingredients: For the marinade: - 1 tbsp dried basil (or 3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped) - 1 tbsp dried oregano - 2 tbsp olive oil - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar - Pinch of salt - Pinch of pepper For the salad: - Optional: fresh basil leaves (torn or chiffonaded for garnish) - ½ large red onion (finely chopped) - 1½ cups cherry tomatoes (quartered) - 8 oz fresh mozzarella (cherry-sized balls, halved, or torn into small pieces) - 1 cucumber (peeled, scored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces) Steps: 1. **Prepare the Marinade**: In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of dried basil (or fresh basil), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until well combined and set aside. 2. **Prepare the Vegetables**: Peel a washed cucumber, use a fork to scrape the skin to create a textured surface, then slice thinly and dice into small pieces. Place the diced cucumber in a medium-sized bowl. 3. **Add the Tomatoes and Onion**: Quarter the washed cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the diced cucumbers. Thinly slice and dice a red onion, then add it to the bowl with the cucumbers and tomatoes. 4. **Add the Mozzarella**: Slice mozzarella into bite-sized pieces, or use pearl-sized mozzarella balls. Add the mozzarella to the bowl with the cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. 5. **Combine and Marinate**: Pour the prepared marinade over the vegetables and cheese in the bowl. Mix everything well, ensuring the marinade coats all the ingredients evenly. Allow the salad to sit for 10 minutes before serving to let the flavors develop. foodie foodies foodiesofinstagram foodiesofig foodiesofinsta food foodlover foodpics foodofinstagram foodoftheday foodofig foods recipe recipes recipeoftheday recipeinspo recipeshare recipeideas recipereels easyrecipe easyrecipesathome easymeals LTKFindsUnder50 LTKfoodie LTKvlog