Caprese Salad

Fresh and healthy Caprese salad is made with ripe, fresh tomatoes, soft mozzarella cheese and sweet basil. At my house we serve this simple salad as the perfect appetizer to complement any pasta dish.

This simple tomato and mozzarella cheese salad is nutritious, delicious and esthetically pleasing. Said to have originated on the Isle of Capri, Caprese salad is red, white and green- the colors of the Italian flag. In this recipe, each slice of tomato is layered with ingredients and can be plated as an individual serving. The original recipe uses olive and salt; however, the variations are endless. I prefer to top it with a sweet balsamic vinegar as in this recipe, or even a balsamic reduction if I have the time to reduce down the vinegar.

Caprese Salad

Enjoy this fresh salad anytime. There are plenty of variations and ways to make this salad so feel free to be creative. Try it with avocado or olives, serve it on a bed of arugula, sprinkle with oregano or savory. Share your ideas in the comments, below!

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
10 minutes		5 servings

PREP	10 minutes
COOKING
YIELD	5 servings

Ingredients:

1 large tomato
3 1/2 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
5 fresh basil leaves
2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar (or reduction- see notes)

Instructions:

Cut off the ends and slice the tomatoes into 5 slices of uniform thickness.
Slice the cheese into 5 slices of uniform thickness.
Lay the tomato slices out on a flat serving platter.
Top each tomato slice with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
Top each slice of cheese with a fresh basil leaf.
Spoon balsamic vinegar over each piece.

Serve, sprinkle with with olive oil and salt or garnish with pesto and/or sun dried tomatoes.

Notes:

Balsamic reduction can be used in place of balsamic vinegar. To reduce, bring 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar to a rolling boil in a uncovered saucepan and continue to boil until it is reduced by at least half.