This recipe for caprese salad is a vibrant and colorful dish bursting with fresh, summer flavor.
Tomato caprese salad is a colorful classic featuring the red, white, and green of Italy using juicy red tomatoes, creamy mozzarella cheese, and fragrant basil leaves dressed in the perfect amount of olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings.
Holly’s Crushing on Caprese
- Flavor: Caprese (ka-pray-zee) is sweet, creamy, fragrant, and tastes like summer in every bite.
- Difficulty: Arrange in a red, white, and green circle, drizzle, and serve.
- Prep Note: Make the salad ahead, keep chilled, and dress just before serving.
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy it alone as a vegetarian appetizer, a side dish, or pair it with grilled chicken or quick garlic steak bites.
Caprese Salad Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Vine-ripened or fresh from the farmer’s market, tomatoes have the best flavor, but supermarket tomatoes will also work. Roma tomatoes are meatier and will hold up well on a picnic or potluck table.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Fresh mozzarella cheese is moist with a mild, creamy flavor and comes in logs, large balls, or small balls called bocconcini.
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil leaves make this salad so aromatic. Pick up a live basil plant and keep it in a sunny windowsill for fresh basil all summer long.
- Dressing: Olive oil, balsamic, and a pinch of salt and pepper are all you need to elevate the fresh flavors of the ingredients. You can also use a zesty homemade vinaigrette for an extra pop of flavor.
Creative Caprese Combos
- Once you know how to make caprese salad, it will be your go-to all summer. Feel free to dress it up with thin slices of prosciutto or salami.
- You can also use burrata, spoonfuls of cottage cheese, or ricotta between the tomatoes as well.
- Try making Caprese skewers by alternating bocconcini, cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves on wooden skewers for an easy, healthy, hands-free picnic treat.
How to Make Caprese Salad
- Alternate slices of tomatoes, cheese, and basil leaves on a platter. (Full recipe below.)
- Drizzle with oil, vinegar, and sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Caprese Salad Secrets
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into equally thick slices.
- Arrange whole leaves of basil or cut them into chiffonade (thin strips) if desired.
Fresh Now, Flavor Later
Cover leftover caprese salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Drain any liquid off and season with a little salt and fresh basil before serving again. Leftovers can be chopped up and scooped onto keto crackers, grilled portobello mushrooms, or added to salad greens in a low-carb wrap.
Low Carb Summer Salad Recipes
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Caprese Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes sliced ¼" thick
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced ¼" thick
- 8 leaves fresh basil more as needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, or to taste
Instructions
- On a serving dish, arrange the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves, alternating between the three ingredients.
- Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Enjoy fresh caprese salad as soon as it’s made, for best results.
- To make it up to a day ahead, chill it in the refrigerator in a covered container in the refrigerator and drain any liquid off before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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