Cherry Tomato Salad With Basil And Fresh Mozzarella

By allie5jones

Ingredients

• 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 4 cups)
• table salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 medium shallot minced (about 3 tbsp.)
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ground black pepper
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and patted dry with paper towels
• 1 1/2 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Toss tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sugar in medium bowl; let stand for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until seeds and excess liquid have been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, stirring to redistribute tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl and set aside. Strain tomato liquid through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup. Bring 1/2 cup tomato liquid (discard any extra), shallot, and vinegar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to 3 tablespoons, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil and black pepper to taste until combined. Taste and season with up to 1/8 teaspoon table salt. Add mozzarella, dressing, and basil to bowl with tomatoes; gently toss and serve.