A classic Caprese Salad recipe featuring fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, olive oil, and balsamic reduction. This simple yet fresh and delicious salad is a lovely appetizer or side dish for any occasion!
With tomato season in full swing, caprese salad is a surefire win for entertaining guests and also treating yourself to something special.
The combination of fresh juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, vibrant basil, tangy balsamic reduction and rich olive oil is always an impressive appetizer or side dish that everyone loves!
Back in my college days, I was hyper fixated on chopping up caprese salad ingredients and eating it out of a bowl for quick lunches.
This chopped caprese salad obsession occurred mainly because I absolutely love how fresh and delicious all the ingredients taste together, but also because it was one of my very few methods for feeling bougie on a very tight budget.
I’m very particular about my tomatoes, and when they are ripe and juicy, there is just no competition.
A great vine-ripened tomato, any farmer’s market tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes are the best tomatoes for insalata caprese. I especially love meaty heirloom tomatoes in a caprese salad!
But before I get ahead of myself, let’s discuss the caprese salad ingredients in detail!
Ingredients for Caprese Salad:
Fresh Tomatoes: What type of tomatoes to use for caprese salad? Truthfully, any and all tomatoes will work, but my top recommendations are heirloom tomatoes, vine-ripened tomatoes, or any tomatoes you can find at farmers’ markets that are ripe and delicious.
If you grow a garden, now is your tomato’s time to shine!
Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or any small tomatoes work too. If you go this route, I recommend buying small fresh mozzarella balls and serving it all in a large serving bowl rather than a serving platter.
If you’d like, you can cut the small balls of mozzarella in half and combine them with halved cherry tomatoes.
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese: Pick up a blob of fresh mozzarella cheese, which is a soft cheese typically found next to the other fancy cheeses in the deli section of the grocery store.
Not to be confused with the harder mozzarella that you use for pizza and lasagna. This rubbery mozzarella is great for melting, but not so great for serving in fresh salads.
While I buy the large round ball of creamy fresh mozzarella, you can also purchase the smaller balls of mozzarella and serve them as is with the tomatoes, rather than cutting the cheese into slices.
For easiest eating, I recommend sticking with slices of mozzarella cheese.
Fresh Basil Leaves: Fresh basil ties together the ripe tomatoes and creamy mozzarella with a burst of herb power. This refreshing herb is everything!
I recommend using the small leaves rather than the larger basil leaves to avoid overpowering guests with basil.
If you only have large basil leaves, you can cut them into smaller strips with a sharp knife (julienne them) so that there is just the right amount of sweet basil in every bite.
Balsamic Vinegar: Delicious balsamic vinegar gets reduced on the stove top to make a balsamic reduction. This thick balsamic sauce is then drizzled over the caprese salad to bring a strong sweet tang.
Choose your favorite high-quality balsamic or use an infused balsamic vinegar for a real great time! For the best results, I do recommend using the highest quality balsamic because you will definitely taste the difference.
Olive Oil: Similar to the balsamic reduction, a delicious extra-virgin olive oil gets drizzled over everything to add richness and buttery flavor to the salad.
Choose your favorite olive oil for the best result or use an infused olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is the best olive oil for traditional caprese salad because it has rich olive flavor and an earthiness that is impossible to get anywhere else. I love the idea of using a garlic or rosemary infused olive oil to enrich the salad with more flavor.
Flaky Sea Salt and Pepper: Sprinkle coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper over everything to season the salad to perfection! A sprinkle of salt really enhances all of the flavors for the best way to enjoy the freshest ingredients.
For serving the caprese salad, you will also want small appetizer plates and/or toasted baguette or crusty bread so that your guests can make a nice little caprese crostini out of the salad.
If you’d prefer to use a homemade balsamic dressing or my Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, you may definitely do so!
Now that we’re experts on the best ingredients for caprese salad, let’s make it!
How to Make Caprese Salad:
Using a sharp knife and a cutting board, Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese into 1/4-inch thick slices.
You want the slices of tomatoes to be somewhat sturdy so that they can handle the weight of mozzarella cheese slices (and vice versa). Thin slices may be too flimsy to pick up off the serving platter with a fork, so thick slices of tomato are easier for self-serving.
Arrange the sliced mozzarella cheese and tomatoes on a large serving dish.
Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. Infused olive oils are fun here too!
Sprinkle the tomato and mozzarella slices with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange the basil leaves around the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella.
For the best result, use smaller basil leaves rather than large basil leaves so that each bite of the tomatoes and cheese isn’t overpowered by basil.
If you don’t have small basil leaves, simply chop large leaves and sprinkle them all over. For the best appearance, arrange the ingredients in a single layer on the serving platter, or just slightly overlapping.
Transfer the balsamic vinegar to a small skillet or small saucepan, heat over medium-high heat and bring it to a full boil. Allow mixture to boil, stirring constantly, until it has reduced to 1/2 or 1/3 of its original volume.
Remove from heat and allow the reduction to cool to room temperature before pouring it over the caprese salad.
Note that balsamic vinegar burns easily when it isn’t carefully watched so be sure to stay present for the whole reduction process.
Serve caprese salad with a serving spoon or fork and small appetizer plates. You can also serve caprese salad with buttered toasted baguette for a more substantial appetizer.
Store leftover caprese salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you end up with leftovers, I recommend you make my Caprese Frittata with Arugula for breakfast the next day. Or, you can make a Caprese Pizza on top of my Almond Flour Pizza Crust.
And that’s it! An easy appetizer, simple salad, or healthy side dish to share with friends and family for any occasion.
I also love that there doesn’t need to be a special occasion to enjoy this simple treat. Simply whip out a personal-sized caprese salad whenever the craving calls for a light meal.
Using basic ingredients, you’re left with the perfect salad to go alongside any main course.
If you’re looking for more crowd-pleasing appetizer recipes, also try these reader favorites:
More Appetizer Recipes:
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Hummus Flatbread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto
- Roasted Beet and Herbed Vegan Ricotta Crostini
- Grilled Vegetable Avocado Quesadillas with Chipotle Cashew Cream
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Caprese everything all the time!
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes sliced*
- 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
- 20 fresh basil leaves
- 2 to 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife and a cutting board, Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Arrange the sliced mozzarella cheese and tomatoes on a large serving dish. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Sprinkle the tomato and mozzarella slices with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange the basil leaves around the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. For the best result, use smaller basil leaves rather than large basil leaves so that each bite of the tomatoes and cheese isn’t overpowered by basil. If you don’t have small basil leaves, simply chop large leaves and sprinkle them all over.
- Transfer the balsamic vinegar to a small skillet or small saucepan, heat over medium-high heat and bring it to a full boil. Allow mixture to boil, stirring constantly, until it has reduced to 1/2 or 1/3 of its original volume. Remove from heat and allow the reduction to cool to room temperature before pouring it over the caprese salad. Note that balsamic vinegar burns easily when it isn’t carefully watched so be sure to stay present for the whole reduction process.
- Serve caprese salad with a serving spoon or fork and small appetizer plates. You can also serve caprese salad with buttered toasted baguette for a more substantial appetizer.
Notes
Nutrition
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