Caprese Salad (Printer-Friendly)
Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic glaze — a bright, no-cook starter or side.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables & Cheese
01 - 3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
02 - 8.8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
03 - 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves
→ Dressing
04 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze (optional)
06 - Sea salt, to taste
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Place alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella on a large serving platter, slightly overlapping each piece in a curved or straight line pattern.
02 - Tuck whole basil leaves between each tomato and mozzarella slice, allowing them to peek out naturally.
03 - Generously drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the arranged slices. If using, add a thin drizzle of balsamic glaze across the top.
04 - Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately as a starter or side dish.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It takes ten minutes from cutting board to table and looks like you tried much harder than you did.
- When tomatoes are truly in season, this salad will make you question why you ever bother cooking vegetables at all.
02 -
- Refrigerated tomatoes will destroy this dish because cold kills their flavor and gives them a mealy texture, so keep them at room temperature always.
- I learned the hard way that slicing wet mozzarella turns everything into a slippery mess, so pat it dry with paper towels first.
03 -
- Slice the mozzarella with a serrated knife and gentle pressure so each piece comes out clean instead of ragged and pulled.
- Let the plated salad sit for two minutes before serving because that brief rest lets the salt draw out the tomato juices and creates its own instant dressing on the platter.