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Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad <\/b>is my Friday Favorites<\/a> pick for this week, and this is the perfect salad to make when it’s fresh tomato season and your garden is bursting with tomatoes and fresh basil. However it can also have mood-enhancing properties even if you have to buy tomatoes from Costco and buy a basil plant at the grocery store to make the basil vinaigrette.<\/p>\n It was the adorable Mozzarella pearls made by Bel Gioisio Cheese<\/a> I found at Costco that first inspired me to make a tomato Mozzarella salad, and then I couldn’t resist throwing in some black olives. The Mozzarella “pearls” are tiny pieces about the size of marbles, and they were delicious with the tomatoes and fresh basil. But if you don’t find those Mozzarella Pearls at your store, just make this tasty salad with cut-up pieces of fresh Mozzarella, no worries!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)<\/p>\n Tomatoes do have some carbs of course, but this salad with tomatoes, olives, and fresh mozzarella has only about 8 net carbs per serving and 13 grams of protein. If you’d like a version with lower carbs, just use more Mozzarella and olives and fewer tomatoes.<\/p>\n I think Basil Vinaigrette is one of the essential things to make when it’s summer and you have fresh basil. You can make it by simply mixing fresh chopped basil into purchased vinaigrette dressing like I did in this recipe. Or check my post about Basil Vinaigrette<\/a> for a more intensely-flavored version and ideas for using it.<\/p>\n The fresh basil flavor is the essence of this salad. Basil<\/a> is considered by many to be the best of all herbs. I grew basil in my garden for over 30 years, and now that I live in a condo I grow it every summer in planters on the patio! I like to start with one or two purchased seedlings, then plant basil seeds for an inexpensive patch of basil. Every year I freeze fresh basil<\/a> from my garden, and use it all through the winter. Check out my post on Cooking with Fresh Basil<\/a> if you’re also a lover of that fresh basil flavor!<\/p>\n If you’re not familiar with fresh mozzarella<\/a>, it’s a very soft cheese that comes packed in brine. It can be sold in logs (sometimes sliced), in large balls or in the small mozzarella “pearls” I used to make this salad.<\/p>\n Check out Favorite Summer Tomato Salads<\/a> for more amazing salad ideas for summer tomatoes!<\/p>\n (This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.<\/p>\n This salad with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olives, and basil vinaigrette would be a WOW summer side dish to serve with any of these main dishes:<\/p>\nWhat ingredients do you need for this recipe?<\/h2>\n
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How low in carbs is this Tomato Mozzarella Salad?<\/h2>\n
Use Basil Vinaigrette in the Tomato Mozzarella Salad!<\/h2>\n
More About Fresh Basil:<\/h2>\n
What is Fresh Mozzarella?<\/h2>\n
Want More Summer Tomato Salads?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHow to make the Tomato Mozzarella Salad:<\/h2>\n
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Make it a Low-Carb summer meal:<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMore Recipes with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella:<\/h2>\n