Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad is a refreshing, no-cook summer side dish. It combines juicy watermelon, sweet strawberries, creamy mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, and a tangy balsamic glaze for a crowd-pleasing salad. This dish is quick and easy to make. It’s ideal for cookouts, potlucks, and light lunches on hot summer days.
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Recipe at a Glance
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ✅ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🛒 Ingredients: Watermelon, strawberries, mozzarella pearls, olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic glaze
- 👩🍳 Serves: 6 to 8
- 💡 Difficulty: Easy
- 📦 Make-Ahead Friendly: Partially - prep the ingredients; assemble right before serving
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No cooking required - add, toss, garnish, and serve
- Summer in a bowl with fresh seasonal ingredients bursting with color and flavor
- Creamy, sweet, and savory in every bite
- Perfect for picnics, potlucks, and barbecues
Simple Ingredients - Maximum Flavor
Simple Steps
- Add: Add the watermelon, strawberries, mozzarella pearls, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
- Toss: Gently toss the ingredients to combine.
- Garnish: Sprinkle the salad with fresh basil.
- Serve: Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
Whether you’re planning a picnic, a weekend cookout, or just want something quick and satisfying for lunch, this no-cook salad is summer perfection in a bowl.
It’s cool, creamy, and sweet, with a subtle peppery flavor of basil in every forkful. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Feta cheese is an excellent substitute for the mozarella pearls.
This salad is best eaten once the basil and balsamic glaze have been added. However, I often prep the watermelon and strawberries in advance and store them in the refrigerator in quart-size Ziploc bags. This makes it effortless to put the salad together right before serving.
For a festive 4th of July salad, substitute blueberries for the strawberries, or add a handful of blueberries to the salad. This makes a beautiful presentation and delicious red, white, and blue salad.
Tips for Best Results
- I like to cut the watermelon and strawberries into ¾-inch pieces. This makes the whole salad more cohesive.
- Use a seedless watermelon. For minimal leftovers, the mini watermelons work great.
- If you have basil growing in your garden, try using small leaves for garnish. Otherwise, gently tear the basil leaves to minimize the bruising.
- Serve the salad cold for the most refreshing taste. Add the basil and drizzle the balsamic glaze right before serving for the most visually appealing presentation.
Other Watermelon Recipes
Juicy, ripe watermelon is hard to resist on hot summer days. Here are more creative ways to use it.
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Recipe
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Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold cubed watermelon, cut into ¾-inch pieces (See Tip 1)
- 2 cups cold fresh sliced strawberries, cut into ¾-inch pieces (See Tip 2)
- 1 cup cold Mozzarella pearls, drained (See Tip 3)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves (See Tip 4)
- Balsamic glaze (optional)
Instructions
- Add cubed watermelon, sliced strawberries, Mozzarella pearls, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Gently toss to combine.
- Right before serving, sprinkle the top with fresh basil. If desired, drizzle with balsamic glaze.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings. (See Tip 5)
Video
Tips/Notes
- Mini seedless watermelon works well in this recipe.
- If desired, substitute fresh blueberries for a festive red, white, and blue salad for the 4th of July.
- Feel free to substitute a cup of feta cheese for the Mozzarella pearls.
- If you have basil growing in your garden, try to use small leaves. Otherwise, tear the leaves into pieces rather than cutting them, which minimizes bruising.
- This salad is best eaten cold and right after it's been put together.
Nutrition
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