Easy Caprese Salad Recipe
Perfect for summer parties, this Caprese Salad is absolutely bursting with flavor! Made with just 5 ingredients: fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, balsamic glaze, and extra virgin olive oil, this traditional Caprese Salad can be served as an appetizer or a side. Check out our secret hacks for making your own balsamic vinegar glaze at home!
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We love Italian Caprese salad, it’s bursting with freshness, and it looks so pretty with the colors of the Italian flag.
Why you’ll love making Caprese salad
- This is such a quick salad to throw together, especially when you already have the balsamic vinegar reduction on hand!
- Caprese salad is as simple as slicing ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and layering them with basil leaves between them. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar glaze and extra virgin olive oil, and that’s it!
- This delicious salad made with tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, and basil salad is healthy! The tomatoes and basil are packed full of healthy nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A. Basil in particular, is great for your blood and circulatory system and may play a role in reducing stress.
- The perfect summer salad, Caprese salad, is refreshing! The tomatoes and basil are refreshing, and hydrating, and a cold slice of fresh mozzarella cheese is just so tasty. This is the BEST Caprese salad!
- Serve this beautiful salad as either a side or an appetizer. It’s perfect for gatherings and BBQs!
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make Caprese Salad and balsamic glaze with step-by-step instructions
Begin by making the 1-ingredient balsamic vinegar glaze. Add balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Tip: double the recipe to save some for later!
Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 12 – 18 minutes until it has reduced to a thick glaze. It should lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove the pan from the heat, then, once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container or mason jar. We find a small jar is best for pouring later.
Now, let’s make the salad! Arrange your tomato and fresh mozzarella slices on a serving platter, alternating each slice in a pattern.
Place the fresh basil leaves between the slices, ensuring you reach each slice, and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze over every slice.
Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. We love flaky sea salt when we’re feeling a little fancy. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes are essential for the best flavor! We like our fresh tomatoes to be around the same size as the thick slices of mozzarella. Heirloom tomatoes are a great option, and grape tomatoes, cherry, or Campari tomatoes could be used in a pinch for a more deconstructed version.
- Balsamic glaze: It’s so easy to make your own balsamic vinegar reduction at home but store-bought works perfectly well if you have some on hand and you need to quickly throw the salad together.
- Make glaze ahead: It’s. a great idea to make the balsamic glaze ahead of time so you can put the salad together in just a few minutes. We also like to double-batch the balsamic reduction for easy salads throughout the week! Balsamic glaze is absolutely delicious on so many different salads, with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. See below for some inspiration!
- Mozzarella: Avoid using low-moisture mozzarella – we need this to be juicy! Burrata can be substituted in a pinch.
- Small mozzarella balls: If you only have small mozzarella balls, that’s okay too! Like cherry tomatoes, we recommend making more of a deconstructed salad when you’re working with the smaller version of the salad ingredients. Slice the ingredients into bite-sized pieces and toss gently with glaze, olive oil, and season generously with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. Pop it in the fridge for about half an hour to let the flavors meld together.
How to store leftover Caprese Salad
Store any leftover caprese salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the basil leaves seem to be wilting, toss them away before storing the rest of the salad so it doesn’t spoil.
Leftover Balsamic glaze can be stored separately in an airtight container or mason jar at room temperature.
And if you have any leftover mozzarella, try this delicious mozzarella sandwich.
What to serve with this Caprese salad recipe
Caprese salads are one of our favorite summer salads. It’s great as an appetizer or a side any time of the year (we even have a Caprese candy cane salad for Christmas!), but particularly in the summer when tomato season is in full swing, and you can buy (or pick!) the best tomatoes.
We love Caprese salad as a side dish to
It’s also the perfect accompaniment to pasta and a slice of crusty bread. Our favorite pasta recipes include the BEST Lemon Pasta recipe, Pasta alla Sorentina, Pasta alla Norma, and of course, Pesto Pasta is a favorite to use up extra basil!
Some salads to try if you have extra balsamic glaze are Beetroot and Grilled Halloumi Salad, Easy Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad, Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad, and why not try a little drizzled over some Air Fryer Tomatoes? Perfection!
More easy summer recipes for you to try
- Caprese
Pizza Recipe - Insalata Caprese Appetizer Recipe
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Easy Caprese Skewers
- Zucchini Fritters
Easy Caprese Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes sliced
- 12 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced
- Fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil to drizzle
- 2 cups balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 12 – 18 minutes until it has reduced to a thick glaze; it should lightly coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat, then, once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container or mason jar.2 cups balsamic vinegar
- Arrange your tomato and mozzarella slices on a serving platter. Place the basil leaves between the slices, ensuring that you reach each slice, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!4 tomatoes, 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, Fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, Salt and black pepper
Notes
- Tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes are essential for the best flavor! We like our fresh tomatoes to be around the same size as the thick slices of mozzarella. Heirloom tomatoes are a great option, and grape, cherry, or Campari tomatoes could be used in a pinch for a more deconstructed version.
- Mozzarella: Avoid using low-moisture mozzarella – we need this to be juicy! Burrata can be substituted in a pinch.
- Small mozzarella balls: If you only have small mozzarella balls, that’s okay too! Like cherry tomatoes, we recommend making more of a deconstructed salad when you’re working with the smaller version of the salad ingredients. Slice the ingredients into bite-sized pieces and toss gently with glaze, olive oil, and season generously with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. Pop it in the fridge for about half an hour to let the flavors meld together.
- Balsamic glaze: It’s so easy to make your own balsamic vinegar reduction at home but store-bought works perfectly well if you have some on hand and you need to quickly throw the salad together.
- Make glaze ahead: It’s. a great idea to make the balsamic glaze ahead of time so you can put the salad together in just a few minutes. We also like to double-batch the balsamic reduction for easy salads throughout the week!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
