Caprese Salad Italian-American (Printable Version)

Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze combine for a vibrant Italian side dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Produce

01 - 3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
02 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

→ Dairy

03 - 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

→ Condiments

04 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 to 2 tbsp balsamic glaze

→ Seasonings

06 - Sea salt, to taste
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Place alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella on a large platter, slightly overlapping each piece.
02 - Insert fresh basil leaves between the tomato and mozzarella slices.
03 - Evenly drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the salad, followed by the balsamic glaze.
04 - Sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over the salad as preferred.
05 - Present the salad promptly as a side dish or light appetizer.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Takes ten minutes and tastes like you spent hours thinking about it.
  • Works as a starter, side dish, or light lunch without apology.
  • Lets really good ingredients shine without needing a long ingredient list.
02 -
  • The mozzarella and tomatoes should be roughly the same temperature when they hit the plate, so let the cheese sit out for a few minutes while you're slicing tomatoes.
  • A cold salad tastes flat, so pull it together just before people sit down, or at least bring it back to room temperature on the counter for ten minutes.
03 -
  • Pat the tomato slices dry with a paper towel so they don't release all their water onto the platter.
  • If you're making this ahead, assemble it no more than an hour before serving and keep it at room temperature, covered loosely with foil.
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