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June 1, 2021 By Kathryn Donangelo 20 Comments

Easy Caprese Salad

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Easy Caprese Salad

Last Updated on March 14, 2022 by Kathryn Donangelo

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This Easy Caprese Salad makes a beautiful appetizer and takes minutes to assemble. Made with deliciously flavorful and fresh ingredients!

PIN Easy Caprese Salad to try later!

Easy Caprese Salad

Easy Caprese Salad is always one of our go-to salads when craving something fresh, flavorful and light. This simple and elegant salad is layered with fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. The light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar blends perfectly together on top of the salad. 

I first made this Caprese recipe last Fall as a fun side project I was working on for Rocket Farms based out of Half Moon Bay, California. Rocket Farms is the largest grower of indoor flowers, fresh cut herbs and potted edibles in the country and I used their incredibly fresh basil and herbs that you’ve probably seen at most grocery stores.

I helped create multiple recipes using their fresh herbs and the recipes and photos are used for their new packaging and website. It was such an amazing experience and the project was so fun to work on. You can find all of their herb products here! 

Anyways, back to this caprese! You can serve this salad with just about any meal! It goes great with any chicken, beef or pork dish. You can also serve it with a pasta dish as well. 

This Easy Caprese Salad takes 5 minutes to whip up and can be eaten as a meal. Simply add baby shrimp, prawns or prosciutto on top for protein! Keep reading below on other ingredients to add to this salad. 

Easy Caprese Salad

CAPRESE SALAD INGREDIENTS

  • Fresh tomatoes: fresh is always best because the fresher the tomatoes, the sweeter they will be naturally. You could use heirloom tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine.
  • Fresh mozzarella cheese: you want to be sure to use fresh, soft and spongy like mozzarella cheese. The fresh mozzarella cheese that you want to use is usually packed in water. 
  • Fresh basil leaves: it’s important to use fresh basil leaves, not dried. The delicate leaves make this salad vibrant, sweet and slightly peppery in taste. 
  • Balsamic vinegar: I prefer using balsamic vinegar over red wine vinegar because it’s sweeter and pairs perfectly with the ingredients. You could also use a balsamic reduction or buy a premed reduction.  
  • Extra virgin olive oil: good quality olive oil is important because you can really taste the fruitless of the olive oil in this salad. It’s one of the finishing touches and I don’t recommend using any other oil. 
  • Salt + pepper: to taste. I love using Himalayan or sea salt. 

HOW TO MAKE CAPRESE SALAD

This couldn’t be easier to prepare! Arrange the sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese slices and basil on a serving platter. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
 

RECIPE VARIATIONS

There are so many different variations you can use for this recipe. I love adding different ingredients to my caprese salads sometimes if I’m in the mood for something different other than the original recipe! Try my Melon Caprese Salad and my Tomato Prosciutto Caprese. 

Some other different variations you could use add to your caprese are: 

  • Sliced avocado
  • Fresh peaches (when in season) 
  • Sliced grapefruit 
  • Fresh Strawberries (when in season)
  • Sliced red onions
  • Sliced cucumbers
  • Balsamic vinegar reduction
  • Pesto

LOOKING FOR OTHER SALAD RECIPES? TRY THESE!

  • Bacon Spinach Salad
  • Chicken Teriyaki Salad
  • Avocado Greek Salad
  • Antipasto Salad

CAN’T GET ENOUGH?

Subscribe and I’ll send all my newest and FREE recipes to your inbox!  You can also keep up with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and  Facebook. If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram so I can see and feature you!

Easy Caprese Salad

This Easy Caprese Salad makes a beautiful appetizer and takes minutes to assemble. Made with deliciously flavorful and fresh ingredients!
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: caprese, caprese salad, how to make caprese salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Kathryn Donangelo

Ingredients

  • 2 large tomatoes; sliced
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese; sliced into 1/4 inch slices
  • 7-10 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • salt + ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Arrange the sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese slices and basil on a serving platter. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Find Kathryn's Kitchen Blog on Instagram!Mention @Kathryns.Kitchen.Blog or tag #kathrynskitchen!

Notes

This recipe was originally created for Rocket Farms. 

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Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Appetizers, Lunch, Salads, Side Dishes Tagged With: salad

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. allylainee00@gmail.com'Allyssa says

    June 3, 2021 at 4:40 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this super easy and tasty caprese salad~This is our new favorite, we’ll make it again for sure! Highly Recommended!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:26 pm

      SO happy to hear that! Thanks so much for your comment and for trying my recipe:)

      Reply
  2. lamborgreenie@gmail.com'Kyleigh says

    June 3, 2021 at 6:03 am

    5 stars
    This basil in my garden has been growing like crazy, so I’m so glad I found this recipe! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:27 pm

      Oh this recipe is perfect for that basil! I’m sure it will be even more delicious since it’s from your garden!

      Reply
  3. veenaazmanov@veenaazmanov.com'veenaazmanov says

    June 3, 2021 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    This is definitely a party salad. Simple and yet so perfect with all the delicious combinations. This is so colorful too.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:28 pm

      Thank you, I agree- it’s such a colorful salad!

      Reply
  4. BakingGypsy@AOL.com'Tammy says

    June 4, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    Hands down one of my favorite summer time recipes…so easy and fresh! Look at those gorgeous colors…cannot wait for my garden tomatoes to come in so I can make this ^_^

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      Thank you so much!!

      Reply
  5. Leslie.sawmiller@jaroflemons.com'Leslie says

    June 4, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    5 stars
    What a perfect salad to make and use up my tomatoes. Love the addition of vinegar on top as well! So perfect!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      The vinegar makes the tomatoes extra tasty and flavorful! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  6. cupcake@bsugarmama.com'Nicole Washington says

    June 4, 2021 at 7:41 pm

    This is a perfect summer salad! This is also good fo picnics too!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      SO perfect for picnics, thank you!

      Reply
  7. info@mrishtanna.com'Uma Srinivas says

    June 6, 2021 at 10:37 am

    5 stars
    Color full and perfect summer salad! Loved your pictures too… We have garden-fresh tomatoes and I love to add those in salads.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      Thank you Uma! I hope you can try this recipe with your garden fresh tomatoes!

      Reply
  8. Marwin.brown@gmail.com'Moop Brown says

    June 6, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    5 stars
    What a great appetizer and yummy salad for summer. I love the way it makes use of such tasty vegetables and flavors.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 6, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  9. hahnelkate@gmail.com'Kate says

    June 6, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    5 stars
    Many thanks for sharing this recipe. I love mozzarella and tomato salad. So I will definitely try your version.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 7, 2021 at 7:19 pm

      I’m so glad! I hope you LOVE this recipe!

      Reply
  10. bahladiti.ab@gmail.com'Aditi Bahl says

    June 6, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    Tried this salad for lunch. The flavors were simple but prominent. Loved the recipe. This goes on my top pinned salad list. Making it again for sure.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Donangelo says

      June 7, 2021 at 7:20 pm

      YAY that is amazing!! So happy you tried this recipe- thank you!

      Reply

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