Caprese Salad Recipe. Fresh mozzarella and tomatoes layered and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
This dish right here, Caprese Salad Recipe, is my go-to appetizer for any party I host, or when I am brining a dish to a party. The dish tastes fantastic and the presentation is just beautiful. The vibrant color of the red tomatoes is complimented so well by the dark green of the basil and the neutral white color of the fresh mozzarella.
This dish is so simple to prepare once you get the hang of the design you want to make. You can layer the ingredients vertically to make stacks, you can lay the ingredients out in a straight line, or you can create the wheel affect I show you in the below pictures.
My personal favorite is the wheel pattern. The visual is striking, however, in a more practical sense, this pattern fits the most amount of food on the plate. Which is the desired affect when feeding a large gathering of people at a party. Now, if I am making this dish for myself, I will just pile the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil in a stack, drizzle with the balsamic dressing, and dig in with a fork and knife.
NOTE
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
How to Make Caprese Salad Recipe
Preparing the Caprese Salad:
- Begin by slicing the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes ¼ inch thick. Ensure there are equal pieces of mozzarella and tomato.
- On a large plate, layer the mozzarella and tomatoes on top of each other forming a circle around the perimeter of the plate.
- When layering, ensure half of the mozzarella and tomato is exposed to the next layer (see the below picture for a visual aid).
- Layer any remaining mozzarella or tomatoes in the center of the circle.
Dressing the Caprese Salad:
- In a small bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, and oregano.
- Mix well to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated to form a dressing. Next, with a spoon, drizzle the dressing over the caprese salad as desired.
- Finish the salad with a sprinkle of fresh basil.
How to Serve Caprese Salad Recipe
- Serve the caprese salad as an appetizer of side dish with crusty Italian bread.
More Side Dish Recipes To Try
Fried Cacuzza
Italian cacuzza squash cut into wheels, breaded, and fried until golden brown.
Zucchini with Beans and Sweet Potatoes
Zucchini sautéed with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes and mixed with beans.
Stir Fry Cabbage with Green Beans
Cabbage sautéed with fresh green beans, tomatoes, and onions and mixed with stir fry sauce.
Potato and Green Bean Salad
Boiled potatoes and sautéed green beans combined with garlic, basil, and oil and served hot or cold as a side dish.
Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Tomatoes
Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Tomatoes. Spinach sautéed in oil and garlic with diced tomatoes and cannellini beans.
Baked Sweet Potato Wedges
Simple Sweet Potato Wedges. Just 5 simple ingredients for these perfectly baked sweet potato wedges with cinnamon.
The Recipe
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Fresh Mozzarella Sliced
- 3 Large tomatoes or 5 plum tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh basil sliced
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. dried oregano
Instructions
- Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
Preparing the Caprese:
- Begin by slicing the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes ¼ inch thick. Ensure there are equal pieces of mozzarella and tomato.
- On a large plate, layer the mozzarella and tomatoes on top of each other forming a circle around the perimeter of the plate.
- When layering, ensure half of the mozzarella and tomato is exposed to the next layer (see the below picture for a visual aid).
- Layer any remaining mozzarella or tomatoes in the center of the circle.
Dressing the Caprese:
- In a small bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, and oregano.
- Mix well to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated to form a dressing. Next, with a spoon, drizzle the dressing over the caprese salad as desired.
- Finish the salad with a sprinkle of fresh basil.
To Serve:
- Serve the caprese salad as an appetizer of side dish with crusty Italian bread.
Invent Your Recipe
This dish is a staple at parties with family and friends. This is the one appetizer that everyone askes me to bring. It is very appealing to the eyes and very simple to make. I have used roasted red peppers, roasted eggplants, or even roasted zucchini or squash before to make this recipe. Although those combinations taste great, there is just something to be said about preparing and serving the classic caprese salad with tomatoes.
Nutrition
Invent Your Recipe:
This dish is a staple at parties with family and friends. This is the one appetizer that everyone askes me to bring. It is very appealing to the eyes and very simple to make.
I have used roasted red peppers, roasted eggplants, or even roasted zucchini or squash before to make this recipe. Although those combinations taste great, there is just something to be said about preparing and serving the classic caprese salad with tomatoes.
