Caprese Salad: Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil

Name: Caprese Salad: Classic Italian Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: Mozzarella 150 g; Medium red tomatoes 5–6; Fresh basil 2–3 sprigs; Olive oil 4–5 tbsp; Salt, black pepper to taste; Capers, balsamic vinegar, oregano optional

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15 mins

Caprese is an Italian appetizer, very light and tasty. Starters like this are known as “antipasto”. Not “anti-pasta”, mind you, but “before the pasta”: an appetizer.

Tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and the best olive oil. All the different spices and extras are improvisations that give caprese its own special flavor. The appetizer owes its name to the island of Capri, the very one where the writer Maxim Gorky lived and took his cure. Then again, Capri was already a resort back in the days of the Roman Empire.

With its combination of red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil, caprese looks a lot like the Italian flag. Mind you, many masterpieces of Italian cuisine echo the colors of the Italian flag: bruschetta with mozzarella, Margherita pizza, and the salad from Capri.

Making this salad is really simple. The recipe involves no tricky techniques, no long cooking and no exotic ingredients.

The classic recipe calls only for buffalo milk mozzarella. That said, even in Italy people usually use the more affordable cow’s milk mozzarella. The size of the mozzarella balls doesn’t really matter. It affects how you slice the cheese more than how the salad tastes. What’s crucial is that the cheese is as fresh as it gets.

The tomatoes for the salad are a matter of debate. I once read that the best variety is oxheart. Here those tomatoes are pink, and I wanted mine red. Most Italian recipes recommend “large vine-ripened tomatoes”. Apparently these are tomatoes that grow in clusters, like cherry tomatoes but bigger. By and large, our plum-shaped tomatoes work just fine too. But I happened upon small tomatoes that we call “chumachok”. They suited me in every way: red, firm, with no white core and very tasty.

The basil should be as fresh as possible, ideally straight from the garden, preferably with small leaves. Use the best olive oil you can find. The flavor of the salad depends on it. It must be extra virgin.

With its tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, caprese looks a lot like the Italian flag. An easy recipe for the Italian appetizer.

Ingredients

2 servings

Mozzarella 150 g
Medium red tomatoes 5–6
Fresh basil 2–3 sprigs
Olive oil 4–5 tbsp
Salt, black pepper to taste
Capers, balsamic vinegar, oregano optional

Step-by-step recipe

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Slicing the tomatoes and mozzarella

As simple as it is to make, there are still a few fine points. The whole caprese recipe really comes down to slicing the tomatoes and mozzarella and arranging them on a plate.

Get the ingredients ready: they must be absolutely fresh. This matters! Ideally you want mozzarella made the day before. I understand that’s nearly impossible here. Nearly. But there are local producers who make quite decent cheese. It’s best to pick the tomatoes off the vine right before you make the salad, while they still smell of the garden. And never chill them. The basil, naturally, should be picked from the garden bed. That’s the ideal.

With a sharp knife, slice the tomatoes into rounds 6–7 mm (1/4 inch) thick. The tops and bottoms don’t go into the salad; you only want meaty rounds of the same diameter. There’s no need to seed or peel the tomatoes. Just slice them.
Take the cheese out of the brine. Slice it as thick as the tomatoes. The shape of the slices doesn’t matter, but they should be about the size of the tomato slices. If you can get the cheese as small balls, just cut them in half.

Arranging the caprese

Take a large plate, preferably white, so the salad looks its best. Neatly arrange the tomato rounds in a circle, alternating with mozzarella slices. Pack them tightly or loosely, as you like.
Lightly salt the salad with fine salt and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Recipes often suggest a pinch of oregano. Purely optional. By the way, it’s tasty, just rub the dried herb between your fingers a bit so there are no big pieces. And don’t overdo the spices.

It’s very tasty with 1 tsp of capers (3 g) added. Just scatter them over the salad.
Scatter small basil leaves over the tomatoes and mozzarella. As many leaves as you like. If you have the time and inclination, you can tuck individual basil leaves between the tomatoes and cheese. But it’s not essential.

Serving

The finishing touch: drizzle the salad with olive oil right before serving, and not a moment earlier. Important: never let the salad sit in the oil. It’s better to bring the oil to the table separately and drizzle it over just before eating. By the way, a common suggestion is to mix the olive oil with a little balsamic vinegar for a vinaigrette. We’ve tried that too. Good advice for a change.
Bring it straight to the table and enjoy. No need to put it in the fridge to rest. There’s no point. Caprese is usually served with fresh bread. And a glass of good wine never hurts.
Caprese and a slice of fresh bread make a superb breakfast that takes hardly any time. Highly recommended.

Calories and macros

560 kcal

Serving ≈ 440 g

Protein20 g14% of kcal
Fat48 g78% of kcal
Carbs11 g8% of kcal

100 g127 kcalProtein 4.5 gFat 11 gCarbs 2.5 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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To Get It Right

Which mozzarella to use

Classic caprese calls for buffalo milk mozzarella, but even in Italy people usually use cow’s milk mozzarella. The size of the balls doesn’t matter; what counts is that the cheese is as fresh as it gets.

Which tomatoes to use

Tomatoes for caprese should be red, firm, meaty, with no white core. Small “chumachok” tomatoes suited me, and plum-shaped ones work too. Ripe pink tomatoes are also very tasty, we’ve tried. Don’t chill the tomatoes.

Basil and olive oil

For caprese, the basil should be as fresh as possible, preferably with small leaves. Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find: the flavor of the salad depends on it.

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Questions and answers

What is a tomato and mozzarella salad called?

Caprese (insalata caprese), an Italian appetizer, or antipasto. It’s named after the island of Capri. The stress falls on the first “e”: ca-PRE-se.

What do you need for caprese salad?

Tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and the best olive oil, plus salt and black pepper. Oregano, capers and balsamic vinegar are optional.

What is the best dressing for tomatoes and mozzarella?

The classic is just olive oil, added right before serving. For a change, mix it with a little balsamic vinegar. Another option is to drizzle the salad with pesto instead of using basil leaves.

Can you make caprese with cherry tomatoes?

Yes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and use small mozzarella balls, halved as well.

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