Caprese Chickpea Salad (5 Ingredients)

This is definitely not mandatory! But this dish is so simple, I like to take time picking out the best looking tomatoes for this salad. I find the multi-colored grape or cherry tomatoes look really pretty and colorful! Especially when you cut them in half and expose the seeds. They're truly beautiful and add to the experience of enjoying this simple summer side dish.
However, I'm also a fan of using up leftovers and using what you have on hand. So if you don't want to make a special trip to that store and you happen to have some leftover beefsteak tomatoes from grilling burgers that you need to use up or you have a couple of Roma tomatoes handy and you want to use those, go for it! The flavor, texture and look of this dish will vary slightly but really any tomato works and will still make a great dish.

Some canned chickpeas come in thick, syrupy liquid while others are packed in thinner juice—but either way, you’ll want to rinse them well. I just rinse them right in the can to save on dishes: open the lid most of the way, drain, fill with water, press the lid back down, and repeat until the water runs clear.
One more thing: adding vinegar can cause some chickpeas to shed their skins. These loose skins aren’t great for digestion, so if you see them floating around, it’s worth picking them out by hand.

A ball of fresh mozzarella sliced into bite sized chunks works great or you can just get the pearls and save yourself from cutting the cheese (had to, sorry!). Both work well. The key is choosing fresh mozzarella vs. shredded or block mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella has a lighter, squishier texture and a bit more flavor.

Did you know if you put a sprig of basil in a cup of water, after about 2 week it will grow roots?! I discovered this on accident recently. I had no idea you could propagate basil this way! It's very handy even if you just want to keep your basil fresh longer, and not have to store it in the fridge. Once it gets roots you can plant it a pot with dirt and let it grow. Give it a try!

If you make this often, try stirring in something next each time. Here are some ideas for optional add-ins: arugula, pasta, farro, corn, eggplant, white beans, avocado chunks and more. Get creative!

A simple tip, but serving this dish with a slotted spoon allows excess balsamic vinegar to drain away, leaving your plate cleaner and less of a chance of the vinegar creeping towards your other food getting it soggy. Need a slotted spoon? Shop them on Amazon.