Caprese Salad (Summer Salad with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil)
Want to make an authentic Caprese salad? After my first visit to the island of Capri, I knew I had to master this classic tomato mozzarella basil salad. Sure, anyone can toss tomato slices and mozzarella rounds on a plate - but even with a recipe so beautifully simple, there are some little tricks you can do to take it over the top. Let me share my five best tips.
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium tomatoes, see notes
- 2 balls fresh mozzarella, see notes
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, see notes
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into rounds and dry them gently with a paper towel.3-4 medium tomatoes, 2 balls fresh mozzarella
- With the tomato slices laying on your cutting board, sprinkle them with half of the salt.1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- Arrange the tomato slices, mozzarella, and basil on a serving plate. Sprinkle with the remaining flaky salt and drizzle with olive oil.1 handful basil leaves, 2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
Notes
Tomatoes: Make sure to choose ripe tomatoes. If it's out of season, opt for cherry or grape tomatoes.
Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella is not the same as the mozzarella you grate for pizza. Look for buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte.
Salt: Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, is light in flavor and adds a little crunch. If you don't have any on hand, use just a pinch of sea salt.
Olive oil: If you keep a few bottles in your pantry, reach for the one with the grassiest flavor.
Weeknight version: Here's the truth: when I throw this together for a quick weeknight salad, I don't dry the tomatoes and mozzarella. It still tastes very good, but it is a little more watery.
Variations to Try
An authentic Caprese salad has only 5 ingredients, never more. But I don't think that should stop you from having fun and creating your own variation. Here are a few additions and substitutions that I think make a wonderful salad - sorry, purists, but that's just my opinion!
- Burrata instead of mozzarella
- A drizzle of balsamic glaze
- Sliced peaches
- A splash of sherry vinegar
- Black pepper
- A few capers
Serving: 1 = 1/6th of the recipe, Calories: 278kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 863mg, Potassium: 204mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1039IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 387mg, Iron: 1mg