I love this avocado tomato salad for lunch or as a side dish for a family meal. If serving it as a lunch main, I recommend a toasted slice of your favorite bread with it. If serving it as a side dish, it pairs so well with many different mains, including chicken, fish, steak, pizza, and egg-based mains like frittatas.

close up of avocado, tomato, mozzarella, and pepper salad with a lemon dressing served in a white bowl with a slice of toasted bread on a dark wooden surface

Ingredients

To make this salad, you need the following ingredients (for 4 lunch salads or 6-8 side servings for dinner)

Avocado – 2 large avocados. You want to pick avocados that are ripe but still firm, so that when you cut them into cubes, they maintain their shape.
Tomatoes – 8 oz (225 grams) sweet baby tomatoes. Get the most flavorful tomatoes you can find. Since tomatoes are such a big part of this salad, their flavor can make or break this salad.
Sweet Pepper – 1 big sweet pepper (or substitute with a bell pepper). The pepper will add a bit of fresh crunch to this salad.
Mozzarella – 8 oz (225 grams) of fresh mini mozzarella pearls, drained.
Lemon – 1 tbsp of lemon juice. For extra brightness in the salad, you could use the zest from the lemon as well. If using the zest, get an unwaxed lemon or scrub off the wax with hot water and a brush.
Olive Oil – 3 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil.
Red Onion – 1/4 of a red onion, finely diced.
Salt – a pinch of kosher salt or flaky sea salt, to taste.
Black Pepper – a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Fresh Basil – 8 fresh medium basil leaves, or more to taste.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Make the salad dressing by mixing the lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest (if using it), a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper until combined. Finely dice the red onion and add it to the dressing to soften a bit.

salad dressing of lemon, olive oil, red onion, salt, and pepper mixed in a metal bowl

Step 2. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients.

Halve the baby tomatoes.
Deseed and chop the sweet pepper (or bell pepper).
Halve the avocado, remove the seed, and then peel it (or gently scoop up the whole half of the avocado using the spoon). Cut the avocado into cubes.
Finely slice the fresh basil by placing the leaves on top of each other, rolling them, and then finely slicing them.
Add the drained mini mozzarella pearls.

halved tomatoes, chopped pepper, drained mozzarella balls, chopped herbs, and diced avocado in a metal bowl ready to be mixed to make the salad

Step 3. Toss the salad ingredients gently with the dressing until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

overhead view of all salad ingredients being tossed with the salad dressing in a metal bowl on a dark wooden table

If serving this salad as a side, bring it to the table in a large serving bowl so that everyone can help themselves.

finished avocado and tomato salad served in a large bowl on a dark wooden table

overhead view of avocado tomato salad with mozzarella, peppers, and herbs in a serving bowl on a dark wooden surface

You can also serve the salad as individual portions, as seen below.

overhead angled view of four white bowls of avocado tomato salad in a 1-1-1-1 formation on a dark wooden table

If having this salad for lunch on its own, pair it with some toasted or grilled bread.

overhead view of individual portion of avocado, tomato, and mozzarella salad in a white bowl on a dark wooden surface

overhead view of tomato, avocado, and mozzarella salad served in a bowl with a slice of toasted bread

I love how colorful and flavorful this salad is. It is very refreshing, with slightly sweet, herby, and zesty notes and a little crunch for good measure. If you make it and love it, let me know by leaving a review below.

Printable Recipe Card