Best Caprese Salad Recipe

Caprese Salad is a classic Italian favorite, refreshing and flavorful, made with juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pesto, and balsamic reduction.

My Caprese salad recipe is an easy, fresh meal with just a few ingredients, that takes only 20 minutes to prepare. What’s more, all the ingredients are fresh and delicious. The tomatoes, cheese, and basil go together perfectly, and the balsamic vinegar brings out unique tastes in every bite. 

Caprese salad is among my go-to dishes; it can serve as a fancy appetizer or a delicious side dish. My secret to making this salad shine is using the best tomatoes. During the winter, I choose cherry tomatoes, but during summer, I always look for the juiciest heirloom tomatoes.

Salads are one of my favorite recipes to brainstorm, and this classic Italian favorite was easy to rewrite as my own with just a few changes. I love the salad the way it is, but I added my own twists to it to make it a special summer dish. With just a few ingredients, it is so easy to toss together that I can make it in just a few minutes.

I ensured it was an easy recipe so anyone could make it. It only has two easy steps to follow, with just five ingredients, and there will be a short trip to the grocery store. Speaking of ingredients, I chose to use everything fresh. The cherry or heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil are all fresh, and the balsamic reduction is made from scratch. 

Looking for other simple salad recipes to try? Check out these refreshing recipes for Mexican salad, shrimp salad, and Southwest salad!\

Why you will love this recipe

• It is a foolproof recipe: It would be difficult to mess this up with just two steps, and the secret is in choosing the freshest ingredients.
• There are only five ingredients: Don’t worry about a long shopping list. You may already have a few things.
• All fresh and flavorful: Every ingredient is fresh from the tomatoes to the vinegar reduction.
• Make it in minutes: It only takes 20 minutes from start to finish to get this delicious salad on the table.

What is Caprese Salad?

This classic meal originates from Italy and is named after one of its islands in Naples called Capri. The dish even symbolizes the Italian flag with its red, green, and white color elements.

What makes it also great is its plating. The red tomatoes and white mozzarella are usually placed alternatively in a spiral way making it look extremely fancy and just like Italy’s flag.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes – I love using small thick cherry tomatoes that are full of juice so I can just slice them in half and let the juices flow. During summer, when tomatoes are in season, I opt for the best heirloom tomatoes I can find at the farmer’s market and I usually get them in different colors for a vibrant salad.
• Mozzarella – I only use the freshest mozzarella for this salad. For the easiest prep, use mozzarella pearls. They do not even need to be sliced.
• Fresh basil leaves – I like to use Genovese basil for this salad. The sweet and peppery flavor and large oval leaves make it the number one choice for Caprese salad and pesto.
• Balsamic vinegar and balsamic reduction – This dark sweet intense vinegar is the key to this salad as far as I am concerned. It accentuates the flavors so well.
• Pesto – Using a few tablespoons of freshly made pesto adds so much flavor to this salad. It’s a game changer.
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make Caprese salad

• Prep the tomatoes. Wash and slice the tomatoes preferably half a centimeter thick.
• Prep the cheese. If you bought a mozzarella bar or the buffalo type, slice it with the same size as the tomatoes.
• Arrange the ingredients. Place the tomato and cheese slices alternatively. I usually make it into a spiral design, but arranging it in a linear way will also look great. 
• Place the toppings. Season the dish with a fine amount of salt and pepper. Drizzling it with olive oil, pesto, and balsamic vinegar, balsamic reduction, and pesto.
• Serve. For the final touch, sprinkle fresh basil leaves and then serve.

Expert tip

How to make balsamic reduction

Also known as balsamic glaze, balsamic reduction is just the process of reducing balsamic vinegar by boiling it until it thickens. Many recipes (including mine) call for brown sugar or maple syrup. It is known for making anything taste luscious. What’s more, it can be made in less than 15 minutes and can be used on various dishes from sweet to savory.

This exquisite glaze is just as yummy on fruit and ice cream as it is on veggies and cheese. It is even good on steaks and sandwiches. I love it on this salad, but if you have never tried it spread on a hunk of French bread with a slice of melted Swiss cheese, that is something to put on your to-do list.

The tanginess enhances the flavors of everything. It turns this tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad into a masterpiece. Be sure to use high-quality balsamic vinegar to make this glaze. It would not make sense to get a cheap version lacking flavor and viscosity.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add some meat: Make it a more substantial salad. Toss in some chopped ham, prosciutto, or salami.
• Different cheese: Not a fan of mozzarella? Use ricotta, feta, gruyere, swiss, or goat cheese.
• More vegetables: Another way to make this salad heartier is to add some more veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and bell peppers.
• Make it crunchy: Sprinkle this salad with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chopped nuts, or pepitos to give it a boost of crunch.   

Serving suggestions:

• This salad goes great with my juicy grilled pork chops. or grilled steak.
• They really complement each other.
• Side dishes that go with this tasty salad are numerous including grilled vegetables or mashed potatoes.
• Serve it with Caprese chicken and creamy tomato soup and some grilled peaches on the side.
• Quench your thirst with a variety of my fruit mojitos and serve the kids and other non-drinkers sparkling strawberry lemonade.
• Instead, enjoy the salad with a glass of Sauvignon or Gruner Veltliner.

Frequently asked questions

What tomato is best for Caprese salad?

Although most traditional Caprese salad recipes call for heirloom or big beefsteak tomatoes, I also make it with the smaller ones like cherry, plum, Roma, or grape tomatoes. The best tomatoes are the heavy ones because they have the most juice. Unlike most salads, this one really craves the juice because it adds to the balsamic reduction to make a nice sauce.

What kind of dressings are good on this salad?

Of course, the most common one is balsamic reduction made from balsamic vinegar. However, I have used lemon vinaigrette, a bit of honey and olive oil, or fresh pesto. Sometimes, I eat mine with no dressing at all—just a little bit of salt and pepper.

What is the difference between fresh and regular mozzarella?

For this salad, the only kind to get is fresh. I call them mozzarella balls or pearls, but they are just fresh mozzarella. Regular mozzarella is an aged block of cheese that is saltier and typically shredded and melted. The most common fresh mozzarella is the bocconcini orb, about the size of a golf ball. It is soft, silky, and creamy. The pearls are just a smaller version, and that is what I like to use.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Keep caprese salad refrigerated in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to three days.   
• Freezing: Freezing is not recommended. 

More salads to try:

Recipe tips:

• Take the time to make your own balsamic reduction. The flavor is incredible and it only needs one ingredient and 15 minutes of your time.
• Any tomato will work for this salad, but I enjoy the small ones like cherry, roma, and grape varieties.
• In addition, you could also use any dressing such as Italian, ranch, or Catalina.
• Fresh mozzarella is the only kind to use on this salad. Regular mozzarella is too hard and is different from the fresh stuff.
• Make sure to make more salad than you are going to need. It cannot be kept longer than a few days and it does not freeze well.