Caprese Salad Cucumber Boats
Last Updated on August 26, 2024 by Betty Davies
Simple and fresh, these Caprese salad cucumber boats are a must have this summer. Loaded with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, and topped with basil and balsamic vinegar, they are easy to make but impressive to serve. Perfect as a side dish or appetizer.
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If you are looking for and impressive summer side dish, but one that’s super easy to make, then you are in luck! These Caprese salad cucumber boats are the bomb!
Beautiful to serve to guests, either as an appetizer or side dish, this Italian inspired salad recipe is perfect in its simplicity. Made with fresh and tasty ingredients it’s a sure fire hit.
Crisp cucumber, sweet tomatoes and creamy mozzarella, finished off with fragrant fresh basil and zingy balsamic glaze. Good food does not need to be complicated or take hours to prep, I know you are going to love this!
Be sure to try my Caprese Salad Stacks and Pesto Caprese Salad too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: It only takes about 10 minutes to make these boats from scratch. No cooking needed, just some basic chopping. They are a great last minute side.
- Simple ingredients: You only need 5 main ingredients to make this recipe.
- Fresh and tasty: There’s a reason why Caprese salad is a firm favorite. The fresh flavors from the ingredients work so well together.
- Dietary info: These Caprese salad cucumber boats are low in calories, vegetarian, gluten-free and low carb.
Ingredients
- English cucumber
- Bocconcini: These mini mozzarella balls are so easy to prep for the cucumber boats. If you prefer, you can use a larger ball of mozzarella, there’ll just be a bit more chopping!
- Cherry tomatoes: Perfectly sweet, these small tomatoes fit snuggly into the cucumber boats.
- Balsamic Glaze: This is optional (and not in a traditional Caprese salad), but I love the complex flavors that the glaze adds to each bite.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves are finely cut using the chiffonade technique, so that the flavor is not overpowering.
How to make caprese salad cucumber boats
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Cut the cucumber and scoop out the seeds (photo 1).
- Fill the boats with cut cherry tomatoes and mozzarella and season (photo 2).
- Top with balsamic glaze and basil (photo 3).
Serving Suggestions
These Caprese salad cucumber boats are perfect to serve as an appetizer or a side dish. You can serve them to eat with a knife or fork, but they are also sturdy enough that you can pick them up and eat them with your hands. They are a great option to serve up at a summer cookout.
As a side, they are great with all of your favorite Italian dishes and proteins, try them with some of these favorite mains:
Make Ahead & Storage
Cucumber boats are best made the same day of serving so that the ingredients stay fresh and crisp. Make them up, without the balsamic glaze and basil, cover and store them in the fridge. Drizzle over the balsamic and sprinkle the basil on top just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
English cucumbers are the best option for this recipe. They aren’t to watery, so stay firm, and they have quite a lot of seeds that you can scoop out and give you lots of room for the filling.
If you don’t want to waste anything, you can refrigerate or freeze the scooped out cucumber seeds and add them into smoothies!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If your cucumber boats don’t sit flat once you’ve cut them, use a vegetable peeler to shave the bottom to make it even.
- Try drizzling over some extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor!
- I prefer to chiffonade the basil, it looks pretty on the plate and I find it less overpowering. If you like, you can place whole basil leaves in between the tomatoes and mozzarella.
These Caprese salad cucumber boats taste like summer! Fresh and delicious, they look so pretty when served and bring color to any plate. Quick and easy to make, these will become your favorite way of eating salad!
More Cucumber Salad Recipes
Caprese Salad Cucumber Boats
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- 6 bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 6 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber and cut the ends off. Cut in half lengthways and then cut each length in half across the middle. Scoop out the seeds.
- Cut the bocconcini balls in thirds and half the cherry tomatoes.
- Place the cut cheese and tomatoes in the cucumber boats, alternating cheese and tomato until full. Season with a little salt and black pepper.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over each boat.
- Place the basil leaves on top of each other and roll up. Use a sharp knife to cut the basil into long strips (chiffonade). Sprinkle on top of each boat and serve.
Notes
- If your cucumber boats don’t sit flat once you’ve cut them, use a vegetable peeler to shave the bottom to make it even.
- Try drizzling over some extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor!
- I prefer to chiffonade the basil, it looks pretty on the plate and I find it less overpowering. If you like, you can place whole basil leaves in between the tomatoes and mozzarella.
