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    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto

    Published: May 06, 2018 / 57 Comments

    1.3M shares
    • Facebook5.4K
    Recipe Print

    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto - healthy recipe packed with nutrients and lots of fresh ingredients!  Perfect Spring and Summer salad!   Small fresh Mozzarella cheese balls are delicious when combined with avocado in this easy salad that also features red and yellow cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions.  The dressing for this avocado salad couldn't be easier to make - just combine fresh basil pesto with lemon juice!  Basil pesto makes a perfect salad dressing as it is packed with olive oil.

    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto on a white plate

    One of many reasons that I love Summer is that it's a perfect time of the year to make salads. I've been making all kinds of salads, including my favorite beet salad with spinach, goat cheese, and cashews and strawberry spinach salad.  Well, now I've got another favorite!  This recipe just screams Summer!  I love using red and yellow cherry tomatoes (each sliced in half) in this avocado salad because they add natural color and look really good with the small fresh Mozzarella cheese balls and other diced ingredients.   So easy to make!  Just combine all the ingredients together, toss with a simple basil pesto dressing and the salad is ready!

    Ingredients for Avocado Salad

    ½ pound red cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
    ½ pound yellow cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
    2 avocados , diced
    1 cucumber , sliced
    ⅓ cup red onion , diced
    8 ounces small fresh mozzarella cheese balls

    Sections of salad ingredients on a white plate clockwise: chopped red onions, diced avocado, orange cherry tomatoes sliced in half, sliced cucumber, red cherry tomatoes sliced in half, with small Mozzarella cheese balls in the middle of the plate

    How to make easy basil pesto dressing for avocado salad

    My favorite salad dressing for salads is just plain olive oil.  Which is why basil pesto (which has olive oil as one of its ingredients) makes a perfect salad dressing for my avocado salad.

    To make the dressing, just combine fresh basil pesto (I used ¼ cup) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. After you add the dressing to the salad, season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste.

    I used to make my own basil pesto all the time, but these days you can buy really good pre-made fresh basil pesto in the store, so I just used store-bought basil pesto for this avocado salad.

    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto (close-up)

    Main dishes that go great with Avocado Salad

    Many grilled meats, such as grilled chicken, grilled pork, grilled or roasted lamb will go great with this salad. Also, since this avocado salad is very Mediterranean, any Mediterranean style main dishes will do.  And don't forget about the fish.  Such as salmon or trout.  I cook fish a lot, and here are some of my favorite fish recipes go with this avocado and mozzarella salad:

    Trout Recipe with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce

    Steelhead Trout with Caper-Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

    Cilantro Lime Honey Garlic Salmon baked in foil

    The following Mediterranean chicken recipes will also be perfect to go with this avocado salad:

    Pesto Chicken and Veggies

    Pesto Chicken, Veggies, and Tortellini

    Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms

    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto on a white plate

    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto on a white plate

    My other favorite Avocado Salad recipes

    • Balsamic dressing goes really well with avocados, tomatoes, and Mozzarella cheese. Try it for yourself in this recipe: Tomato Basil Avocado Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Dressing
    • Greek style ingredients, tortellini, and avocados? Why not: Greek tortellini salad with tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, feta cheese
    • Berries and avocados are some of my favorite salad ingredients. Add mango and cashew nuts, and you will really enjoy this Summer salad: Strawberry Spinach Salad, with Blueberries, Mango, Avocado, and Cashew nuts
    • For radish lovers, add avocados to your salad: Radish Avocado Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Green Onions
    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto-5
    4.85 from 88 votes

    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto

    Healthy and delicious Spring and Summer salad: Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto.  Simple recipe that uses fresh ingredients: tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, fresh small Mozzarella cheese balls, red onions, and basil pesto dressing.  
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 6 people
    Calories per serving 264 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    Avocado Salad Ingredients:

    • ½ pound red cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
    • ½ pound yellow cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
    • 2 avocados , diced
    • 1 cucumber , sliced
    • ⅓ cup red onion , diced
    • 8 ounces small fresh mozzarella cheese balls

    Salad Dressing:

    • ¼ cup basil pesto
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions 

    • In a large bowl, combine halved red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced cucumber, diced red onion, small fresh mozzarella cheese balls.
    • Add basil pesto and lemon juice to the salad and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Use more basil pesto, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    264
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    21
    g
    32
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    25
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    14
    mg
    5
    %
    Sodium
     
    142
    mg
    6
    %
    Potassium
     
    585
    mg
    17
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    11
    g
    4
    %
    Fiber
     
    5
    g
    21
    %
    Sugar
     
    2
    g
    2
    %
    Protein
     
    9
    g
    18
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    525
    IU
    11
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    21.9
    mg
    27
    %
    Calcium
     
    177
    mg
    18
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!

    What have I been cooking in my kitchen?
    1 Year Ago: Pesto Shrimp with Mushrooms
    2 Years Ago: Bacon and Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Asiago Cheese
    3 Years Ago: Red Sangria with Mixed Berries
    4 Years Ago: Banana Bread Muffins
    5 Years Ago: Broiled Salmon with Mango Salsa

    « Creamy Mozzarella Scallop Pasta
    Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake »
    1.3M shares
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    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeannie

      September 28, 2021 at 9:42 pm

      Tried it tonight with baked salmon. It was delicious! I will definitely make it again and again!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 29, 2021 at 2:52 pm

        So happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to share your comment and the 5-star review! I appreciate it!

        Reply
      • Laura Nevarez

        October 24, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        Todo se ve delicioso. Desde hoy empiezo a preparar sus ensaladas.

        Reply
        • Julia

          October 24, 2021 at 4:50 pm

          Thank you! Enjoy!

          Reply
    2. M

      August 30, 2021 at 4:20 pm

      Delicious salad. Goes well with your mozzarella tomato basil pesto chicken bake.

      Reply
    3. Stephanie

      August 16, 2021 at 10:06 am

      Can't wait to try this. We have some many tomatoes coming out of the garden. Love the freshness of this recipe.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 30, 2021 at 6:52 pm

        Enjoy! I hope you like it! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Costin

      July 08, 2021 at 9:59 am

      Hi,
      May you put a "Print" button on your blog?
      It will be more easier to us to save a recipe.
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Mitzi

        July 11, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        It's right below the photo in the recipe.

        Reply
    5. Carole

      June 19, 2021 at 1:29 am

      This sounds great with a Balsamic Glaze. Perfect for summer.

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 13, 2021 at 6:40 pm

        Yes, this is a great salad to use with Balsamic glaze. In fact, I have a similar salad recipe here: Tomato Basil Avocado Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Dressing

        Reply
    6. Amara

      May 11, 2021 at 2:16 pm

      I'm planning on making this tonight, but I was wondering how long it would last in the fridge? It looks amazing. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Naomi

        January 08, 2022 at 4:19 pm

        I'm really upset that I've seen this question a bunch of times on this thread....and not any that have been answered by the blogger (at least not going back more than a few pages) she's answered more recent questions but not this one which has been asked at least 4 times on two pages of comments.....what gives?

        Reply
        • Julia

          February 11, 2022 at 10:58 pm

          You can refrigerate this salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

          Reply
    7. Jillian

      April 22, 2021 at 7:31 am

      Hi 🙂 I bought all the ingredients for this, but just wondering:
      How far in advance can I make this?
      How long does it keep in the fridge?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sharon Murphy

        May 14, 2021 at 3:18 pm

        If you prepping in advance, don't put the avocado in until right before otherwise it'll brown up. It has lemon juice but I think it would still start to brown up.

        Reply
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