A light refreshing hors d’oeuvre, such as an avocado caprese salad, easily becomes the rave of a dinner party. It’s infused with fresh flavors… especially the basil. I could literally eat basil right out of the garden and be in heaven!
This caprese salad recipe is from my Thrive Summer Reset program, which thousands of people have completed to gain energy, break sugar cravings + caffeine addictions and fall in love with plant-powered recipes just like this one.
How to make an avocado caprese salad
In just 5 minutes, you can have a deliciously healthy snack at your fingertips. No baking, freezing, or even blending needed with this recipe!
Because avocados are anything but basic, make this salad right when you want to eat it. If you need to take it to go, cut your avocado in half, then take the seeded half with you. The seed helps keep the avocado from browning too quickly.
You can cut your produce in wedges like the recipe photos, or you can turn your avocado caprese salad into more of a salad-like dish. To do this, simple chop the tomatoes + avocado in chunks rather than wedges. Take a big spoon and once all the extras are in the bowl, give it a gentle toss. Still lovely as well as tasty.
Sourcing ingredients for your caprese salad
Organic products are expensive; I totally get it. So to make sure my family gets the best we can afford, yet not break the bank, I reference the EWG’s Dirty Dozen. This list is produced every year to rank the produce they recommend buying organically. Tomatoes make the top 12, so I do my best to buy organic varieties. You’re eating this avocado caprese salad as a healthy snack, so get the best ingredients you can for it.
Basil is beautiful, yet gets expensive real quick. I’ve got a trick for you: buy a basil plant when you need to buy fresh basil. Put that plant in your window sill, then harvest as much as you can! If you’ve got a green thumb, then that plant will keep producing for you throughout the year. If you don’t, that plant cost about the same as buying the packaged fresh basil, and probably gave you more leaves in the long run (plus, they just look so cute).
Avocados are tough to get ripe, then seem to go bad in the blink of an eye. If I find one that is ripe at the store, then I immediately refrigerate it when I get home. If it’s rock hard, then I let it sit right next to my bananas on the counter. Bananas will help ripen up the avocado faster, so you don’t have to wait as long to use it.
Need to know how to cut an avocado? I’ve got a super easy way, no-fail way to do it!
Caprese salad FAQs
This fresh avocado caprese salad is loaded with healthy fat to help break down the natural carbs from the tomato + basil. It’s also high in fiber so eating it will keep you regular.
If you don’t have fresh basil on hand, use dried. The nutrients won’t be as high, but it will still taste good. You can also sub in parsley or arugula.
Other than the fact that it’s just delicious…. an avocado caprese salad is a great option for anyone trying to avoid the aftereffects of dairy. Your skin will thank you for nourishing it with this snack too!
More healthy hors d’oeuvres
I don’t know about you, but hors d’oeuvres (or snacking) is a big part of my life. I often have a big smoothie around mid morning, then snack my way until dinner #workfromhomelife. If I choose snacks that are heavy on the carbs but light on protein + fat then I get hangry by dinnertime.
So I snack smart: find snacks with a good balance of nutrients to keep me energized throughout the day. If I’m sitting in my office working for several hours, I keep the snacks light. If I run 15 miles that day, then my snacks are dense and filling. Here are a few of my fav snack options (don’t forget the avocado caprese salad recipe too!); try them and let me know which ones you like best:
Savory snack ideas: Cauliflower buffalo wings, Cowboy caviar (found in Simple Green Meals), Homemade hummus, Tamari almonds, Avocado caprese salad (recipe below)
Sweet snack ideas: Chocolate covered banana bites, Breakfast bars, Apple ‘donuts’, Zucchini bread, Granola bars, Protein bites (found in Simple Green Meals), Lemon fat bombs
Avocado Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- ½ avocado
- 1 tomato
- ¼ cup fresh basil, about 8–10 leaves
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- balsamic vinegar, optional
- olive oil, optional
Instructions
- Thickly slice the avocado and tomato.
- Arrange on a plate along with the basil leaves.
- Season well with salt and pepper. If desired, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Notes
- Dried basil can be used in a pinch, but use fresh to reap the benefits
- Beefsteak tomatoes are the best variety to use for this salad
- If you want it to be ‘fork friendly’, simply dice the tomatoes + avocado into bite sized chunks.Â
Oddly, I don’t like balsamic vinegar. So I swapped in pesto and it was tasty!
I recently made this salad as an appetizer for a family meal. It was easy to prepare and very tasty. Everyone loved it and thought
it was a beautiful presentation.
My husband would like to gain about 10 to 14 pounds. We are both plant-based followers. I was told that my husband requires 150 grams of protein a day to maintain his present 135 lbs. (6 ft.) small boned frame. What food(s) would you consider higher in protein that will help him gain weight, naturally? No junk food, of course! Much appreciated. BTW, Love your Avocado Caprese Salad recipe and we both like avocado’s that contain some of the protein and fat required.
Look forward to your thoughts.
Hi Barbara! 150 grams of protein is an enormous amount to take in daily, so we appreciate the struggle you and your husband have! In the plant based world, edamame has the most protein per serving – a whopping 18 grams per cup. If you choose to use that, we’d strongly recommend looking for an organic, non-gmo version. Also, check out our post The Protein Myth for a great list of other foods that contain the most protein per cup in a plant focused diet. Oooh – and one more thought – you could give our Dole Whip Weight Gain Smoothie a try too. Higher in calories and good fat – plus yummy without the junk food slant. Best wishes for the best health!
CAPRESE SALAD Was ultimately my favorite!! I had it for lunch every day during my 10 day smoothie challenge. I did add olives and feta cheese super delicious
This recipe is so simple and delicious!
The Vegan Caprese Salad looks absolutely heavenly! Why is the sodium content so high?????
Good question, Alanla! I’m looking into it and will reply once I get an answer for you. 🙂
Also, I agree, it’s such a delicious salad!
Good catch, Alanla! The sodium content should not have been that high. The nutrition facts have been updated and all the info is correct now.
Perfect picnic salad for a beautiful day in Florida. The kids even loved it.
Yumm!!! It was a beautiful day in Florida. I wonder if we live close to each other. So glad that you enjoyed this recipe!!
I love the ease and simple deliciousness of it. It’s so light but filling at the same time.
Thanks Sheri!
I am so happy to hear how much you loved this recipe!! 🙂
I enjoyed this salad all Summer long! Simple to prepare but full of flavor 🙂
Hi AnnMarie,
Simple and flavorful!!! That is what we strive for. So happy you have been enjoying this recipe!
I think this is one of my favorite salads from SGS. It’s so simple, quick and tasty. And it fills you up! It’s fantastic as a snack as well. 🙂
Hey Marie,
Thank you so much! It really has everything you could want in a salad that you can make in no time!!
So happy you enjoyed it!
Love this take on a Caprese salad! Love it with some balsamic vinegar!
Thanks Paige,
It really is so delicious!! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
I first tried this with one of the cleanse programs y’all offer and I’m hooked for life on avo-caprese!
Hey Dani,
You can’t go wrong with avocado!! 🙂
Never thought of using avocado in caprese, and although I looooove mozzarella, this works surprisingly well, and is probably more nutritious. Thank you for the inspiration
Hey Pierre,
I am happy this recipe inspired you!
I don’t even love avocado like some people, but I can NOT wait to try this! Looks delish!
It really is amazing! Let us know what you think once you give it a try 🙂
I looooooove this simple salad or snack! It’s quick, easy and wonderful! I also love it in the warmer months because it’s light and refreshing.
Hey Marilynn,
I am so happy that you love this salad so much!! You really can use it for any season.
Enjoy!!
I first tried during the summer reset. It’s delicious! You’re right – don’t miss the cheese. I top mine with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It’s extra special made with fresh tomatoes and basil straight from my garden. 🙂
That sounds so delicious! Especially since it is straight from your garden. 🙂
Hi Kathy,
I am so sorry you were not satisfied with your purchase and your customer service experience. I promise you that we try our best to work with every member of our community to ensure they’re 100% satisfied with their purchase.
I hope that our team has now made it right. If we haven’t – please send me a direct message [email protected] and I will be happy to help you with your purchase and help answer any questions.