Caprese salad is just about my favorite thing on earth. Thick slices of tomato and mozzarella flavored with fresh basil leaves, olive oil, and a beautiful balsamic reduction: It's is so simple, but oh so impressive. Every year, I can't wait for summer tomatoes to arrive so I can make thissummer salad every day. (Okay, not every day. But I definitely could eat it every day!) Caprese salad makes a scrumptious quick lunch at home, or you can serve it with grilled steak kabobs for an easy summer dinner! It's just as perfect for a full blown Italian-inspired feast with spaghetti and meatballs and garlic cheese bread. Oh, and tiramisu for dessert? Now, I'm hungry. This salad will forever be a summer favorite for me.
What's in Caprese salad?
Fresh, thick-sliced tomatoes, equally thick slices of mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. That's it! There's nothing complicated about it. A drizzle of olive oil, some of that balsamic reduction, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and you're set.
Is Caprese salad healthy?
Made with fresh, wholesome ingredients, Caprese salad is definitely a healthy choice in my book! The ripe tomatoes are packed with vitamins and nutrients, while the olive oil and fresh mozzarella cheese provide healthy fats and some protein. I love it for ahealthy lunch idea!
What kind of mozzarella cheese do you use in Caprese salad?
Now is the time to splurge for the fresh stuff. Using one of those squared off blocks of hard mozzarella cheese isn't going to have the same effect here; you need a ball of soft, spongey fresh mozzarella cheese. For tasty option to use in place of fresh mozzarella, you could always use burrata. They have similar flavors but burrata has a deliciously creamy center.
Which tomatoes are best for Caprese salad?
As long as it's good and ripe, you can use just about any type of fresh tomato to make Caprese salad. Heirloom tomatoes make a really gorgeous salad, but any slicing tomato is delicious here. If you use smaller tomatoes, like cherry or grape tomatoes, just halve 'em. So everything's around the same size,julienne the basil and cut the mozzarella into bite-size cubes or look for bocconcini (mozzarella pearls) at the grocery store to use instead. It'll become more of a toss-together salad rather than one you lay out on a serving platter, but it's just as yummy!
What's in the balsamic reduction?
It may sound fancy, but all it is is balsamic vinegar that's cooked down until it's a little thicker. You can make it that way or buy a bottle of balsamic glaze from the grocery store to keep things even easier.
Can you use balsamic vinegar instead of balsamic reduction?
Sure! Balsamic vinegar won't be as thick or sweet as balsamic reduction, but a splash will add some flavor and acidity to the salad.
How long will Caprese salad keep in the fridge?
For the best texture and flavor, this fresh summer salad should be eaten just after it's assembled. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, but if fully assembled and dressed, it will probably become watery as it sits. If you do plan to store it for later, leave off the basil, olive oil, and balsamic reduction until just before serving.
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- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Cook Time:
- 20 mins
- Total Time:
- 25 mins
Ingredients
- 2 c.
balsamic vinegar
- 3
ripe tomatoes, sliced thick
- 12 oz.
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thick
Fresh basil leaves
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step1In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook until the balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove it from the heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet. Allow to cool.
- Step2When you're ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter. Arrange basil leaves between the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice. Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want. Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.
- Step3End with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread, or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.
I love Caprese Salad so much it actually hurts. I love it as a main dish salad, I love it as a side dish with beef, I love it as an appetizer before a meal, I love it as a mid-afternoon snack. Caprese is truly a magical and perfect combination of flavors, textures, and freshness: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, and some kind of drizzle of either olive oil or balsamic… or both.
For this Caprese, I used a simple balsamic reduction, which results in a pretty presentation and gorgeous flavor.
Serve a platter of Caprese Salad alongside your 4th of July appetizers! I usually do, and it’s always a welcome treat amidst all the burgers and hot dogs and ribs and celebration and fun.
And it’s… well, it’s Caprese.
Start with the balsamic reduction. It’s a cinch–just don’t walk outside to water your garden while it’s reducing or you’ll wind up having to do it all over again.
I speak from experience here, people.
Precise measurements aren’t important; you can do a whole bottle or just a small amount, but if I’m going to go to the trouble, I often just do a whole bottle.
Which means when I go outside and water my garden and forget about it, I waste a whole bottle and have to start over.
Don’t be like me.
Pour it into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium to medium-low heat.
Watermelons and Child Paintings: A Still Life.
Let the balsamic reduce for a good ten to twenty minutes, depending on how much you’re reducing.
It’ll slowly start to thicken. Remove it from the heat when it’s a nice, thick (but still pourable) glaze.
Again, I burned my first batch and had to do it again. This is my second batch, which I stuck in the fridge to cool since I was chasing daylight and was so hungry for Caprese I couldn’t see straight. Since it’s cool, it looks a little thick…but it wound up being the perfect consistency.
You need mozzarella, tomatoes, lots of basil, olive oil, salt and pepper, and the balsamic reduction.
And you’ll need the sheer will to get Caprese in your mouth as soon as humanly possible.
Cut the tomatoes into slightly thick slices.
Do the same with the mozzarella.
Basil, basil, basil. I’ll have you know that I have approximately fourteen thousand basil plants in my garden. For the first time in a long time, I feel there’s something to hope for each day.
Alternate tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter you bought at Sam’s Club one summer in a fit of rage.
Have you ever bought a platter at Sam’s Club in a fit of rage?
I wouldn’t recommend it.
Pretty, but it’s not good enough.
Tuck basil leaves in between each slice.
I’m starting to get excited now.
But we’re still not done.
Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil…
And, finally, a beautiful drizzle of the balsamic reduction.
There’s nothing like that beautiful dark-colored gloss. It’s such a contrast to the red, green, and white.
Because the basil leaves are all drizzled with stuff, I throw on a few pure and holy ones at the end just for kicks. Also, sprinkle on kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divine.
Total loveliness. Now, you’ll notice that on the moist/wet mozzarella, the balsamic reduction starts to seep and run (a watercolor effect)–but on the basil leaves and platter, it remains more of a semi-solid glaze. So if you’re artistic (and I’m not) you can create designs on the sides of your platter to really up the presentation factor.
But last night, presentation wasn’t foremost on my mind. This was.
Oh, and guess what? Balsamic reduction is delicious on beef.
Over and out.
Amen.
