Easy Caprese Salad Recipe

Classic Italian Salad

Tomato, mozzarella and basil salad is also known as Caprese Salad, or Insalata Caprese. This classic Italian salad only takes a couple of minutes to make. The key to a delicious salad is to use FRESH ingredients: mozzarella cheese packed in water, ripe tomatoes and lots of basil. You can also make a HUGE platter of this salad and serve it family style at your next family gathering.

I also like to make this dish as an appetizer using bamboo or stainless steel kabob skewers. I substitute cherry tomatoes for tomato slices, and mini-mozzarella balls in place of large mozzarella slices. The kabobs can be part of your next picnic celebration substituting the messy balsamic vinegar olive oil dressing mixture with a bit of thick creamy pesto for eating on-the-go.

Lunch Salad

I had a caprese salad for lunch yesterday, which is shown in the photo at the top of this blog post. This salad is super easy to put together, there really isn’t a recipe to follow. It’s as simple as alternating slices of tomatoes with slices of mozzarella, sprinkle a generous amount of fresh basil on top, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and, if desired, add a bit of salt and pepper. I like to eat this salad with a big chunk of crusty Italian bread to soak up the “dressing” formed at the bottom of the plate, which is simply the oil, vinegar and tomato juices all mixed together.

I used perfectly ripe, campari greenhouse tomatoes, layered with marinated mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. The mozzarella had been lightly coated in olive oil, then rolled in a finely chopped mixture of garlic, parsley and red peppers. They must have used red pepper flakes, because the cheese was a bit hot and spicy. I finished my salad with a generous splash of fruity extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), balsamic vinegar, freshly cracked black pepper and a bit of Himalayan sea salt.

Balsamic Vinegar VS Lemon Juice

I found the balsamic vinegar to be a bit too sweet for my taste. So for today’s salad, I used a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice instead. My favorite is Meyer lemon, which is a bit sweeter and less tart than a regular lemon. That was the secret – the intense lemon flavor blended perfectly with the fruity olive oil, yielding lots of yummy dressing to sop up with my big chunk of crusty Italian bread. Nom-nom-nom!

Italian caprese salad is a classic dish to serve during the hot summer months. If you’re looking for a great vegetarian accompaniment to this dish, check out my Fresh Fennel and Kumquat Salad Recipe on The Creative Cottage blog.