Caprese salad is a classic Italian salad or appetizer. It is made with fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil leaves, and commonly seasoned with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Made with few ingredients, this light salad is ready in less than 5 minutes and has an incomparable flavor. This salad is a good example that simple can be surprising.
Created in Capri, an Italian island surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, caprese salad only needs to be made with good quality ingredients, nothing else! This is the premise of the Mediterranean diet, which is based on the consumption of fresh and natural food, such as vegetables, dairy products, and olive oil, lots of olive oil!
Besides tomatoes and basil, a italian caprese salad also takes buffalo mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic oil, and salt. Other seasonings are also welcome, such as oregano and ground black pepper. You can always adapt your recipe as you like. In the kitchen there are no rules.
There are many variations of this traditional caprese recipe: I’ve eaten it with a green salad, capers, onions, replacing the tomato with fruit such as avocado or mango. You can add new ingredients or change the salad as you like, but the essentials of the caprese salad are basil and balsamic vinegar.
The mozzarela bowl with cherry tomato is an interesting option as a side dish for proteins, like chicken fillet for example. It’s a good choice as a starter too, as it’s traditionally done in Capri. With a dose of creativity, the caprese salad can even become a filling for a sandwich or bruschetta!
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CAPRESE SALADA IN APPETIZER VERSION
Caprese on the stick is the perfect version of the salad to serve as an appetizer. A very tasty snack, the caprese salad on the stick goes with any kind of event, especially in the summer.
For this version, use cherry tomatoes, which have the perfect shape for this type of appetizer. To assemble the caprese on the stick is super simple. On wooden stick, skewer the ingredients interspersed. I put just the cherry tomato, mozzarella balls, and a basil leaf. Then arrange the sticks on a plate, season to taste, and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. That’s all there is to it!
HOW tO MAKE CAPRESE SALAD?
The secret of the classic caprese salad recipe is to choose good quality food and to be careful when cutting it. Don’t forget that the presentation of a salad is very important to work up an appetite!
In my recipe I also added avocado. Avocado goes very well with this salad. It has a sweetness that complements the other ingredients. Besides, this ingredient is super nutritious and enhances your avocado caprese salad.
There are several types of tomatoes, you can use whichever you prefer. If you use traditional tomatoes, cut them into small cubes. I like to use the cherry tomato. It is the perfect match with the mozzarella. Independent of the tomato you use, it is very important that it be ripe.
In my recipe I didn’t use bufallo mozzarella. I used the traditional mozzarella in small balls, which was the one I had in my house. You can find this type of mozzarella easily in any supermarket. Fresh muzzarella can be found in various formats. If you buy it in a larger size, cut it into small pieces. In the case of the vegan diet, the ideal is to use vegan mozzarella.
Different from the traditional recipe too, I add the onion chopped into very thin slices. This ingredient is super refreshing and makes the salad more acidic, giving it a unique flavor.
As for seasonings, I like the basics, black pepper and salt. But you can add lemon pepper, thyme, or rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar at will. Your delicious salad is ready!
CAPRESE SALAD RECIPE
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cups ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves
- 1 small avocado, sliced
- 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Mix the tomatoes, mozzarella, avocado, white onions and basil leaves on a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
If desired, add various spices such as thyme, rosemary, and lemon pepper.