Easy Caprese Salad

Occasionally, when my husband and I go to an Italian restaurant, we’ll start with an appetizer or two. One of our favorites is actually a very simple but delicious salad called a Caprese Salad. This is the perfect salad to accompany a Spring or Summer meal.

The Caprese Salad, also know as the Mozzarella and Tomato Salad is an Italian Salad that resembles the Italian flag: Red, White, and Green.

The star ingredients in a Caprese Salad:

The key to this salad is using the best quality, freshest, and most in-season ingredients you can find. This is especially true of the tomatoes. Have you ever tasted a tomato that’s not good quality or not in season? Not good, right? To say the least. They can be tasteless and mushy.

I like my tomatoes to have a fresh, off the vine smell.

These off the vine Beefsteak Tomatoes are so fresh, you can smell the freshness.

Also, the tomatoes must be firm enough to retain some of their shape when cutting. For a guide on picking the best tomatoes at the supermarket, read this article on Kitchn.

The next item, and arguably the most important, is the mozzarella cheese. We want to use a Fresh Mozzarella because of the soft, squishy texture. Fresh Mozzarella is usually sold in round or oval shaped form. If you find part-skim or low moisture cheese, it’s a hard pass for this recipe. Those types of mozzarella are too firm and are for different recipes. Same with a Burrata cheese. This one would be too soft.

Next, is the basil. If you are using fresh basil, make shore you rip it by hand. Otherwise, it can alter the taste. If you are using dried, find a good, organic brand.

Lastly, this salad is traditionally drizzled with olive oil. Again, quality is key. A lower quality olive oil might taste bitter. I use a Athenos Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is made with Greek Olives.

Other ingredients include a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and in many cases some Balsamic Vinegar, which is often reduced to a syrupy consistency.

How to Make a Tomato and Mozzarella (Caprese) Salad:

In a heavy bottom saucepan, on medium heat, bring a 1/2 cup of your Balsamic Vinegar to a simmer. Immediately lower your heat to low, and cook for one or two minutes, or until your mixture just starts to thicken. Keep your eyes on the mixture at all times, it can easily burn. Remember, you vinegar will continue to thicken once your remove it from the heat.

Slice your tomatoes into approximately 1/2 inch slices. Do the same with your mozzarella. We are going to alternate between tomatoes and mozzarella and want the slices to be about equal. Scoop out your seeds from the tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, and basil.

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on your salad. Follow this by a drizzle of your reduced Balsamic Vinegar.

Enjoy!

Serve this salad as part of Italian meal like:

Don’t forget about dessert. An Affogato Coffee (Espresso with Ice Cream or Gelato) is a light Italian dessert that can make any dinner special. Make it extra special with a little Amaretto.