There is something almost romantic about the simplicity of an Italian Caprese Salad. Ripe Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and finished off with a balsamic glaze. It’s the perfect accompaniment to other Italian favorites – chicken parmesan, creamy alfredo, baked lasagna, stuffed shells or even some beautiful arancini. Add some garlic bread and you can create your own Italian Trattoria right in your own home for a fun family dinner or fancy date night.
The key to any fresh and simple salad like this is good quality, fresh ingredients. When it comers to the tomatoes you can choose any tomato that is ripe and in season. However, I prefer to choose tomatoes that are the same size as the slices of mozzarella just so it layers beautifully on the plate. I like the larger vine ripened tomatoes, but pick the tomatoes that look and smell the best – if you can get them at a farmers market, even better! This salad is ALL about the tomatoes, so you want them to shine!
A couple of tips for this recipe:
- This salad is best served fresh, so you can prepare the ingredients, but don’t assemble the salad until ready to eat.
- I like to get the fresh mozzarella that is already sliced. It has to be the fresh mozzarella in the logs, NOT the low moisture mozzarella sold in blocks with the other cheese. I get mine in a 2-pack at Costco, but you can find it in most grocery stores. Just ask at the deli counter if you can’t find it and they should be able to direct you.
- During the summer months I grow fresh basil in my herb garden. There is nothing better than freshly picked. But once it starts getting colder outside, I usually pick up one of the basil plants from the grocery store in the produce section and put it on my counter near the window. In a pinch you can get small packages of pre-picked basil with the other herbs in the produce section.
- Balsamic glaze can be made from scratch, (recipe included here if you need it), but I absolutely love Trader Joes Balsamic Glaze and usually have that on hand for these kind of dishes now.
Ingredients:
- 3 large vine-ripened tomatoes
- 16oz fresh mozzarella, sliced in to 1/4 inch slices
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Flakey sea salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling
Instructions:
- Cut the tomatoes in to 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them on a large plate.
- Place the slices of mozzarella in between the tomatoes.
- Poke the basil leaves all over the dish.
- Drizzle with good quality olive oil
- Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve immediately.
Balsamic Glaze (If you can’t get the Trader Joe’s one):
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1-1/2 Tbsp honey
- 1 bay leaf
Combine the vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat until syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cover.
Classic Caprese Salad Recipe
EQUIPMENT (Amazon Associate Links)
Ingredients
- 3 large vine-ripened tomatoes
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced in to 1/4 inch slices
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Flakey sea salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in to 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them on a large plate.
- Place the slices of mozzarella in between the tomatoes.
- Poke the basil leaves all over the dish.
- Drizzle with good quality olive oil
- Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve immediately.
Balsamic Glaze (If you can’t get the Trader Joe’s one):
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1-1/2 Tbsp honey
- 1 bay leaf
- Combine the vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat until syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cover.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh, so you can prepare the ingredients, but don't assemble the salad until ready to eat.
- I like to get the fresh mozzarella that is already sliced. It has to be the fresh mozzarella in the logs, NOT the low moisture mozzarella sold in blocks with the other cheese. I get mine in a 2-pack at Costco, but you can find it in most grocery stores. Just ask at the deli counter if you can't find it and they should be able to direct you.
- During the summer months I grow fresh basil in my herb garden. There is nothing better than freshly picked. But once it starts getting colder outside, I usually pick up one of the basil plants from the grocery store in the produce section and put it on my counter near the window. In a pinch you can get small packages of pre-picked basil with the other herbs in the produce section.
- Balsamic glaze can be made from scratch, (recipe included here if you need it), but I absolutely love Trader Joes Balsamic Glaze and usually have that on hand for these kind of dishes now.
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