This Caprese Salad or Insalata Caprese is refreshing, summery and so good! One of the simplest salads, be sure to use fresh ingredients to get the most flavor from this easy Caprese salad!

Caprese simply means food prepared in the Capri style. The Isle of Capri is located in the Campania region of Italy.

Sometimes it is really easy to mess up the simplest of things and Caprese salad happens to be one of them. Because such few ingredients go into this salad, it is imperative to use the best, freshest and choicest ingredients to make this salad worth enjoying.

If you haven’t realized it by now, the colors in this salad, in fact, are representative of the colors of the Italian flag.

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WHAT IS CAPRESE SALAD?

Caprese (pronounced as kuh-prey-zey or kuh-prey-zee in English or kuh-prey-sey in America) is an Italian salad, made with fresh buffalo mozzarella, ripe, plum tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves. Traditionally, there is no balsamic dressing in this salad. Just good quality olive oil and some sea salt are all you need to season the salad.

ORIGIN OF CAPRESE SALAD

Some sources report it was an invention of a patriotic mason who after World War I loved to enclose the colors of the tricolor inside a fragrant bun. Surely the first historical mention is from the early 1920s when it appeared in the menu at the Hotel Quisisana.

Decades later, precisely in the 1950s, it is reported that King Farouk, asking for something light as an afternoon appetizer, was served a sandwich stuffed with mozzarella, tomato, and basil. It is therefore definitely one of the discoveries of the twentieth century.

With mass tourism, the caprese ceased to be a Capri recipe and became an international dish. Meanwhile, the dish was improved when the traditional vaccine (cow’s milk) mozzarella started to be replaced with bufala mozzarella, a dairy product typical of Campania. {Source- Italyheritage}

INGREDIENTS IN CAPRESE SALAD

There are only 4 basic ingredients that you will need to make Caprese salad

TOMATOES– Make sure you use tomatoes that are fresh, sweet and juicy. Ideally, tomatoes are at their peak in summer. So this salad is best enjoyed during this season. Don’t even bother making this during the winters, it will just be mediocre. Vine tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or juicy cherry tomatoes are all great for this salad
MOZZARELLA CHEESE– As mentioned in the origin of caprese salad, cows (Vacca) milk cheese was used, which was later replaced by fresh buffalo milk mozzarella and since then caprese salad has been prepared using buffalo mozzarella. Water-packet mozzarella cheese is the best for this salad, but it can be a real challenge to find it. If you can, by all means, go ahead and use it. Or use the best, fresh cow’s milk mozzarella you can get hold of. You want it to be rich and creamy and not rubbery.
BASIL LEAVES– Again basil are in abundance during the summer, yet another good reason for this salad to be made and enjoyed the most during its season. Use the smaller basil leaves for best results. The flavors are fresh and you will enjoy that deliciousness. For this salad, I used my fresh, homegrown basil. If you have no access to fresh basil leaves, you could make a caprese salad with dried basil, but it really will not be the same. I strongly recommend you make this fresh caprese salad with fresh basil leaves.
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL– So you don’t need to splurge and get an exorbitantly priced olive oil all the way from Italy. Get the best you can!

And of course, you do need the coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season it well. Pepper, though, is optional.

HOW TO MAKE CAPRESE SALAD?

Caprese salad or Insalata Caprese is one of the easiest salads to make. Simply arrange sliced tomato and mozzarella along with basil leaves alternatively on your favorite serving platter. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and freshly cracked pepper. That’s all!

Now if you don’t like sticking to the traditional version, feel free to drizzle the balsamic reduction or some pesto mixed with olive oil and drizzled over the salad. You can also throw in some olives. Or add some lettuce leaves, either at the bottom of the bowl topped with chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil or torn into pieces and mixed with the tomato and mozzarella cheese, dressed with olive oil, or balsamic or red wine vinegar.

Or make a chopped caprese salad, along with other veggies or fruits.

Personally, I prefer to stick to the simple version, why complicate things, right?

Grilled chicken breasts or any other protein of your choice along with some pasta would go well with a Caprese salad. Even some nice, crusty bread would be wonderful to soak up all those tomato and olive oil juices.

SOME OTHER AWESOME THINGS TO TRY WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA, AND BASIL LEAVES TRIO

Caprese Pizza
Tomato, and Mozzarella bites | Caprese salad on a stick | Caprese salad skewers with balsamic drizzle
Caprese pasta salad
Caprese Sandwich

I have mentioned this before that I’m not a salad person. But I definitely enjoy a good and easy, fuss-free salad that’s packed with flavor and texture. This Caprese salad is just that. The sweet, juiciness from the tomatoes, the rich and creamy mozzarella cheese, the aroma and sweetness from the basil, all tied together with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper! Nothing beats this humble yet downright delicious salad.

Whatever you choose to make, this tomato, basil, mozzarella appetizer is a sure shot crowd pleaser. It not only is simple to put together, but those colors are really pretty as well! You can easily make this Caprese salad recipe for a large crowd too, use cherry tomatoes and small mozzarella balls, combine everything in a large bowl, add chopped fresh basil leaves and season the salad well!

You should definitely try this easy Caprese salad recipe before the summer ends! Buon appetito!

HERE ARE SOME MORE EASY AND DELICIOUS SALADS TO TRY

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE CAPRESE SALAD

1.Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices.

2.Cut the mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick round slices.

3.Arrange alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella on a serving platter. Place a basil leaf in between the tomato and mozzarella slices.

4.Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Drizzle the olive oil. Serve immediately.

NOTE

1.If you do not like the whole basil leaves, tear it by hands into smaller bits. Avoid using a knife to chop the basil.

HOW TO MAKE CAPRESE SALAD?