Caprese Salad (Print View)

Tomato and mozzarella slices with basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze; fresh Mediterranean flavors in minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

→ Cheese

02 - 8.8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick

→ Herbs

03 - 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves

→ Dressings & Seasonings

04 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
06 - Sea salt, to taste
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Arrange alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella on a large serving platter, overlapping them slightly in a decorative pattern.
02 - Tuck whole basil leaves between the tomato and mozzarella slices, distributing them evenly across the platter.
03 - Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil evenly over the arranged slices, then add the balsamic glaze in a steady stream.
04 - Sprinkle generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately to enjoy peak freshness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes ten minutes and looks like something from a magazine spread on a terracotta plate.
  • When tomatoes are truly in season no cooked dish can compete with this kind of freshness.
  • The contrast of creamy cool milky cheese against juicy acid sweet tomato is genuinely addictive.
02 -
  • Slicing the mozzarella while it is ice cold from the fridge causes it to weep water onto the platter and dilute the oil. Let it sit at room temperature for twenty minutes first.
  • Salt the tomatoes a few minutes before assembling and you will notice they release a shallow pool of flavorful juice that mixes with the olive oil into a natural dressing.
03 -
  • Slice the tomatoes with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. A dull blade will crush the flesh and leave you with jagged uneven pieces.
  • The single upgrade that matters most is investing in truly fresh mozzarella from a deli or Italian market rather than the mass produced kind.

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