What is Caprese salad?

It’s a simple classic Italian salad that was named after and originated on the island of Capri around 1920 to please the visiting royalty and socialites. Very typical of Campania cuisine, Caprese salad is composed of slices of plump ripe tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, and leaves of aromatic basil that are seasoned with a bit of olive oil, salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a pinch of oregano. These simple ingredients create the perfect plate of fresh Italian flavor.

Caprese salad is almost always beautifully arranged on a large plate and served as a cold summer antipasto or side dish. But this delicious dish can be served any time of day all year long. And one can not help but notice that its bright colors resemble the Italian flag!

What do you need to make this recipe?

Equipment:

• Cutting Board – You need a cutting board to slice the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese on.
• Sharp Knife – When slicing tomatoes you always want to use a sharp knife. Dull knives will often squish the tomatoes before cutting into them.
• Serving Dish – Caprese salad is typically arranged and served on a large flat plate. The dish should be big enough to fit the entire salad comfortably.

What ingredients do you need to make this recipe?

• Tomatoes – The best choice is San Marzano tomatoes. However, they are not always easy to find and any type of fresh tomatoes will work. Roma, plum, or round tomatoes are all good choices as long as they are ripe and ready to eat. Even cherry tomatoes if that’s all you’ve got.
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – You will need a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese. Ideally, choose buffalo mozzarella for the best flavor. And don’t buy pre-sliced fresh mozzarella that isn’t packaged in water because it often doesn’t have the same yummy texture.
• Basil – Fresh fragrant basil leaves are a must for this recipe. It’s a key Caprese salad ingredient.
• Oregano – A pinch of dried oregano adds a lovely herb flavor and is what makes this version more authentic.
• Olive Oil – You always want to use high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil for any Italian recipe. Just a good olive oil alone can make the dish.
• Salt – Needed to season the tomatoes. Sea salt or fine-grain kosher salt are the best choices.
• Black Pepper – Use freshly ground black pepper if you have it on hand. Otherwise, ground black pepper works just fine.

How to make this recipe step by step

1. Slice and season the tomatoes

To begin, you need to prep the tomatoes by cutting them into ¼-inch slices with a sharp knife (photo 1). It’s important that the knife be nice and sharp so that you don’t squish them. Then arrange the tomato slices on the cutting board or a plate and season them with a sprinkle of salt (photo 2).

2. Slice the mozzarella

Next, use the same sharp knife to cut your fresh mozzarella ball into ¼ inch slices (photo 3). Then use a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels to dab all the slices to remove any excess moisture (photo 4).

3. Assemble the layers

Now, you can put all the salad components together. First, place a few of the fresh basil on the bottom of your serving dish (photo 5). Ideally, this should be a large flat plate. Next, begin layering the slices of tomato and mozzarella, topping every few pieces with more basil leaves (photo 6). You can arrange the layers in any pattern you like.

4. Finish the Caprese salad

To complete the dish, sprinkle the layered tomato and mozzarella cheese with a pinch of dried oregano and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Finally, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish it with a few more basil leaves. Now, serve the beautiful salad immediately.