Hands down, this is my favorite salad. It requires no cooking, comes together in 5 minutes and always manages to look impressive. If you need a go-to recipe for summer entertaining, this is it. You’ll never have to worry about leftovers.
When we planted tomato and basil a few weeks back, this was the salad I was dreaming of. The plants haven’t grown much yet – have I killed a plant that’s guaranteed to grow? How embarrassing would that be?!
Basil is an ‘easy’ plant that likes full sun and normal watering. I’m wondering if I should have put it directly in the ground instead of planting in a pot? Hmm. Maybe I’ll move it when I plant the rest of my cocktail garden. 😉
This is one of the few dishes that doesn’t make me nervous. You know how with most recipes (for us non foodies) you’re paranoid about adding too much salt or forgetting to preheat something? With this you don’t have to worry – you can’t go wrong. So don’t get out the measuring spoons, just wing it. And it will all be good.
Tomato, Basil + Mozzarella Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- A big ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
- Handful of fresh basil
- Olive oil
- Balsamic dressing
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Alternate slices on a nice, big plate, overlapping each one slightly. You can add big leaves of basil in there as well.
- Sprinkle with salt. I like to let it sit for a bit with just the salt on there, if possible, to let things get juicy.
- With your hands, tear up a few leaves of basil and spread across the top.
- Drizzle olive oil and balsamic on top.
What is your favorite summer salad?
Photos by Lindsey Johnson
Your basil should do fine in the pot – mine did last year (and sadly I’m not very good at it hard as I try). Caprese is one of my favorite salads too! Can’t wait for the local grown tomatoes to start coming in – we had so much snow this year I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer!
This looks delicious!! My salads are always roman lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and maybe carrot. Basically anything I find on my fridge haha
That sounds delish Siham! Fridge salads are usually the best kind 🙂
I just planted my tomatoes – so will be pinning this for later – when the tomatoes come in. Your photo is lovely – the colors are so pretty.
I look forward to Caprese salads every summer! Yours is truly a beauty! I don’t know who said basil is “easy”! I plant it every year and sometimes it does very well, and sometimes it’s a bit difficult! My solution: plant a LOT of it! That way you’re certain to have some when you need it!
I’m glad I’m not the only one with basil challenges! Planting several is a great idea – with just one, if I pick enough for a salad and the poor plant looks ravaged 🙂
Great, fast and healthy lunch idea!
I wonder how many this wonderful salad feed–as a salad course. My mouth is watering just for looking at the pictures! All my favorite things together in one dish.
Hi Emilia – I would think it would would serve 3-4 as a salad course. If you need to feed more, just add more tomato & mozzarella!
Thanks!
Lovely pictures!
This is my first year to grow heirlooms and I do have fresh basil growing with them… I am sooo making this this summer .. Have you ever tried reducing the balsamic before adding… I recently did some reduced balsamic on pears, walnuts, and radicchio and it was ridiculously good!
Mozerella used to be my favorite before I was dairy free!:)
Always a great salad. Love the balsamic with a good olive oil.