Cloud Caprese Cups (Marinated Tomato Salad with Whipped Mozzarella)

Kitchen Little Essentials

To make these Cloud Caprese Cups (Marinated Tomato Salads with Whipped Mozzarella) you will need:

A sheet pan (for roasting the tomatoes)

A blender (for whipping the mozzarella)

This is the unofficial third (and probably not final) installment of my Caprese salad series. Yes these ** adorable ** Cloud Caprese Salad Cups are yet another fun and different way to re-mix the flavors of a classic tomato, basil and mozzarella salad (I call it summer’s perfect salad).

This is my go-to salad recipe for any type of summertime entertaining, as these little cups are SO easy and fast to make, they’re really cute and different, and they’re portable, convenient to deal with. People love individually portioned things, just like they love mini things. These are timeless rules of the food world that prove their truths over and over again.

So, these marinated tomato salad cups with whipped mozzarella are typically a shew-in. But more than any of those added bonuses, they are just really, really delicious.

The Kitchen Little 2-for-1 Trick: Raw and Roasted

In this recipe, we’re leaning on one of my favorite minimalist cooking tricks – using one ingredient in two different ways. Here, we’re going to keep some of our little cherry tomatoes raw, and we’re going to roast the rest of them. A roasted tomato is more intense, sweeter than its fresh counterpart and when you combine the two in a bowl with some olive oil, basil, balsamic vinegar, and some salt and pepper – you’ve got summertime magic on your hands.

Or, in your mouth, I suppose.

So, rather than reaching for another ingredient, we’re going to wield one superstar ingredient in more than one way, thus adding depth of flavor to the finished dish. Cool, right?

Cloud Caprese Salad Cups: Here’s the Step-by-Step

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust your rack to the middle position.

Place half of the tomatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or just until they begin to burst and shrivel. Halve the rest of the tomatoes and place them in a large bowl along with 2 TBSP olive oil, the basil paste, and the balsamic vinegar. Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste. 

When the roasted tomatoes are done, add them to the bowl with the fresh tomatoes. Toss to mix.

Meanwhile, add the mozzarella to a blender along with the ricotta, 1/3 cup water and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Just keep adding a little water until it gets moving for you – sometimes I need more than 1/3 cup. Taste and season again, if needed.

To serve, spoon some of the tomato mixture into each of 4 serving cups. Top with some of the whipped mozzarella and enjoy. 

If you like the looks of these Cloud Caprese Cups (Marinated Tomato Salads with Whipped Mozzarella), you might want to check out:

Juicy Tomato & Mozzarella Cobbler with Basil Butter Biscuits

Roasted Veggie Caprese Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

Peaches & Cream Salad with Spicy Pepperoni

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