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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Caprese Salad

    Published: Jan 9, 2021 · Modified: Jul 3, 2021 by Adrianne

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    Caprese Salad with text over lay

    Caprese Salad is an Italian Salad that is quick and simple to prepare! With a fresh and vibrant feel this salad has a balsamic glaze dressing that tantalizes your taste buds!

    Caprese Salad on a large white platter with balsamic glaze

    Light and easy recipes like our Panzanella Salad, Burrata Salad, Bruschetta with Feta and Grilled Chicken Bruschetta are fresh and colourful! The Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad is a meal in one and the Cold Stuffed Tomatoes a no bake 5 min appetizer!

    You can't get much easier a salad to make than this basic caprese salad, with easy to find ingredients and a 10 min prep time!

    Jump to:
    • What goes with Caprese Salad
    • Do you eat the basil in a Caprese salad
    • Ingredients needed
    • Step by step instructions
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Expert tips
    • Related recipes
    • Salad recipes to try:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Easy Salad recipes

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    Chicken recipes  Popular recipes Quick and Easy recipes

    What goes with Caprese Salad

    A Caprese Salad is healthy with a good balance of simple ingredients. You might like to enjoy it on its own for a light lunch!

    It also works well with grilled meats, chicken and fish. It is a great salad to have at a BBQ, take to a picnic (or pot luck).

    Some creative serving ideas are:

    • a caprese grilled cheese
    • caprese pasta salad
    • Caprese Brushetta (with pesto!)
    • stirred through pasta
    • stuffed into chicken breast

    Do you eat the basil in a Caprese salad

    The basil in a Caprese Salad is a light flavour packed ingredient.

    You want to tear the leaves from the stem and add them to the salad to bring a fresh zestyness to the recipe.

    You definitely do eat them as part of the salad and I encourage you to try it as the basil is delicious and a perfect compliment to the tomatoes.

    If you grow your own then throw that in!!

    Ingredients needed

    The ingredients for this recipe are simple and easy to find. They are set out in the photo below so you can see exactly what you need:

    Ingredients for Caprese Salad on a marble background with text labels

    As you can see, the recipe calls for:

    • cherry tomatoes
    • mozarella balls (or bocconcini)
    • basil
    • olive oil
    • salt and pepper
    • balsamic glaze

    The balsamic glaze is slightly different to balsamic vinegar. In that it is thick and more concentrated in flavour.

    It works especially well with this salad as we are using such basic ingredients that the thick, syrupy glaze compliments the light zesty-ness of the rest of the salad.

    The mozzarella has a very subtle mild flavour. It is not a strong bitey cheese with a sharp flavour. The glaze elevates the cheese and tomato combination in an effortless manner!

    Step by step instructions

    Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe.

    You will need a knife and chopping board to start with.

    How to make caprese salad steps 1 to 4
    1. Use a knife to slice the tomatoes in ½ (Photo 1)
    2. Pull the basil leaves from the stems (Photo 2)
    3. Use a knife to slice the mozarella in halves (Photo 3)
    4. Season the tomatoes with a little salt and pepper (Photo 4)

    If making this salad in advance, hold off on seasoning and combining ingredients. When ready season and drizzle to avoid sogginess as the tomatoes are soft and sensitive.

    Method for caprese salad 5 to 8 with text labels
    • Begin plating the salad by combining the tomatoes and mozzarella (Photo 5)
    • Drizzle with a little olive oil (Photo 6)
    • Add the basil leaves to tomato and mozzarella (Photo 7)
    • When ready to serve, drizzle with balsamic glaze (Photo 8)
    Caprese Salad on a white platter with balsamic glaze

    Frequently asked questions

    • there is 6 total ingredients for this recipe!
    • you can substitute rocket (arugula) for the basil if you prefer
    • go for firm cherry tomatoes not soft over ripe ones
    • the balsamic glaze will be in a small squeezy bottle with the other vinegars at the supermarket
    • this is a quick, easy and simple recipe! 
    • the salt, pepper and olive oil is used to season the tomatoes and cheese
    • this recipe is not suitable to freeze
    • the balsamic glaze has a sweet, sticky taste
    Easy Caprese Salad on a large white platter with balsamic

    Expert tips

    • Use a knife and chopping board for the tomatoes and mozzarella
    • Simply pull the basil leaves from the stems and add to the salad
    • To avoid the salad going soggy, prep everything but hold off seasoning and drizzling until serving
    • Keep the cheese, tomatoes and basil separate until ready to season and drizzle
    Small server in bowl on balsamic glaze on a white plate with caprese salad

    The balsamic glaze is thick, rich and sensational. You only need a small amount for delicious flavour!

    Related recipes

    1. Grilled Chicken Bruschetta
    2. Bruschetta with Feta
    3. Caprese Bruschetta
    4. Zucchini Slice
    5. Cold Stuffed Tomatoes
    Caprese Salad on a large white platter

    Salad recipes to try:

    • Panzanella Salad (tomato and bread salad)
    • Roast Chicken Salad (using store bought chicken)
    • Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad
    • Chicken Cucumber Salad

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    📖 Recipe

    Caprese Salad on a white plate with balsamic glaze

    Caprese Salad

    Caprese Salad is an Italian Salad that is quick and simple! With a fresh feel this salad has a zingy balsamic glaze dressing!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: brunch, Lunch
    Cuisine: Australian, International, Italian
    Keyword: caprese salad, easy caprese salad
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 130kcal
    Author: Adrianne
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Chopping board
    • Serving platter
    • Small bowl
    • Honey Dipper
    • Knife
    Metric - US Customary

    Ingredients

    Caprese Salad

    • 2 cups cherry tomatoes Note 1
    • 220 grams mozzarella balls drained, not rinsed, Note 2
    • ½ bunch basil pull leaves from stems
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze Note 3
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    Caprese Salad

    • Use a knife and chopping board to slice each of the cherry tomatoes in half.
    • Use the same knife and chopping board to slice the mozzarella balls in half.
    • Gently pull the basil leaves from the stems and discard stems.
    • Begin platting and season the tomatoes with salt and pepper Note 4
    • Add sliced mozzarella balls to the tomato and drizzle with olive oil
    • Sprinkle the basil leaves over the tomato and cheese evenly
    • Use a honey dipper to drizzle the salad with balsamic glaze, serve immediately

    Video

    Notes

    • Note 1 I use 2 x 500 gram punnets of cherry tomatoes, which measure approximately 2 cups. 
    • Note 2 The mozzarella balls will be in a small tub in the fridge section at the store, where the other cheeses are. If you can't find it, you can use bocconcini balls instead. They are a cream based mozarella and very similar. 
    • Note 3 For the balsamic glaze, drizzle only the slightest amount on the salad itself and have the rest of it there for people to add more. It is a strong flavour and some people will need time to work up to it. 
    • Note 4 I encourage very little 'stirring' with this salad as it is all so fragile. It is better to plate and season lightly, than to combine in a bowl. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe? Share on Instagram!It makes my day when you make my recipes! Tag @sweetcaramelsunday

    Easy Salad recipes

    This is the salad to whip up when you need one in a hurry!

    The Caprese Insalata Salad comes together in minutes and is bright in colour and texture. 

    The thick sweet flavour of the balsamic glaze ensures this is anything but a boring garden variety salad.  

    Please give me a shout if you have questions or make the recipe as I would love to hear your feedback.

    Let's get our Italian Salad on my friends!

    Adrianne x

    RELATED RECIPES:

    Caprese Bites Caprese Bruschetta Panzanella Salad 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Claudia Lamascolo says

      January 09, 2021 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      I could eat this salad everyday it so delicious and what a great idea to use the honey dipper going to steal that idea!

      Reply
    2. Michelle says

      January 09, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      Caprese salad is one of my favourite salads. You just can't go wrong with this classic. I love the idea of using cherry tomatoes too, delicious!

      Reply
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