Caprese salad with mozzarella recipe

Caprese

Caprese (Italian) is an Italian appetizer. Very light and tasty. Such snacks are commonly considered “antipasto”. I mean, not against pasta, but before pasta - an appetizer.

Tomatoes, mozzarella, greenish basil and the best olive oil. Various spices and additives are improvisations that give the caprese a unique and special taste. The appetizer owes its name to the island of Capri, the same one on which Maxim Gorkovaty rested and was treated. In general, the status of a resort on the island of Capri dates back to the times of the Roman Empire.

Caprese, thanks to the special combination of burgundy tomatoes, snow-white mozzarella and greenish basil, is very similar to the Italian flag. In general, many masterpieces of Italian cuisine reproduce the color combinations inherent in the Italian flag. Bruschetta with mozzarella, Margherita pizza, and Capri salad.

Making the salad is very simple. The recipe does not contain any complicated techniques, long heat treatments or exotic ingredients.

The traditional recipe only recommends mozzarella made from buffalo milk. In general, usually, even in Italy itself, they use the most affordable mozzarella made from cow's milk. The size of the mozzarella balls does not play a special role. This affects the method of cutting the cheese more than the taste of the caprese. It is very important that the cheese is the freshest.

Tomatoes for salad are a subject of debate. I read somewhere that the best variety of tomatoes is considered to be “ox heart”. Our tomatoes are pink in color, but I wanted the tomatoes to be reddish. Most Italian recipes recommend "large vine-ripened tomatoes". Apparently these are tomatoes. Growing in clusters, similar to cherry tomatoes, but larger. By and large, our oblong-shaped tomatoes, similar to plums, are completely suitable. But by chance I came across small tomatoes, which we call “chumachok”. They satisfied me according to all the characteristics: reddish, elastic, without a snow-white center and very tasty.

Greenish basil is the freshest, absolutely, if only from the garden. Better with small leaves. Olive oil is the best you can find. The taste of the salad depends on this. The oil must be first cool pressed.

Ingredients for caprese

Mozzarella 150 g
Medium-sized reddish tomatoes 5-6 pcs.
Greenish basil 2-3 sprigs
Olive oil 4-5 tbsp. l.
Salt, dark pepper to taste
Capers, balsamic vinegar, oregano optional

How to cook caprese

Despite the simplicity of manufacture, there are still certain subtleties of manufacture. The first and most important thing is that the products must be only the freshest. It is fundamentally! The standard calls for mozzarella that was prepared the day before. I understand that this is practically impossible for us. Practically. But there are local producers who produce completely passable cheese. It is better to pick tomatoes from the bush just before production, when they still smell like a garden. And under no circumstances should they be refrigerated. Basil, naturally, is picked from the garden. This is in the standard.

Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil - main ingredients

Cut the tomatoes with a sharp knife into circles 6-7 mm wide

Cut the mozzarella into slices the same width as tomatoes.

Carefully place the tomato slices in a circle, alternating them with mozzarella slices

Spread the basil. It turns out very tasty if you add 1 tsp. capers

Just before serving, but not before, drizzle the caprese with olive oil.

Caprese salad with balsamic vinegar and mozzarella

Caprese salad is a common Italian dish that is a cross between a salad and an appetizer. It can be served either at the dinner table or prepared for any holiday, regardless of the season. Fortunately, modern hypermarkets allow us to purchase all the necessary ingredients for its production at any time of the year. But it’s best to cook it in spring and summer, when you can find juicy tomatoes and the freshest basil leaves on the shelves. Therefore, if you are a particular lover of Italian cuisine, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the usual recipe for making this delicious dish.

Caprese salad recipe

Ingredients:

100 ml balsamic vinegar
3 whole ripe tomatoes
340 g mozzarella cheese
bunch of fresh basil
olive oil
salt and freshly ground dark pepper

How to cook:

Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan or saucepan. Create medium heat and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vinegar thickens and begins to resemble a thick glaze. Once this happens, remove the pan from the heat and pour its contents into a separate bowl. Let the sauce cool.
Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems. Cut into wide slices.
Cut mozzarella cheese literally the same way as tomatoes. The width of the circles must be similar. This will make the salad the most beautiful and attractive in appearance.
Place tomatoes and cheese alternately on a wide platter. Garnish it all with basil leaves.
Drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
At the end, pepper and salt the salad.

Caprese salad can be served as an independent dish, accompanied by a slice of the freshest crusty bread. Or throw it in for dinner as an addition to main courses of beef and other meats.

Video recipe

Caprese salad can be plated in different ways and served in a variety of ways. Here's one example of how to create it using a traditional recipe:

And a little more about choosing salad products

A truly delicious caprese comes only from the right products. Its base is mozzarella cheese mixed with juicy tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Olive oil and pesto sauce are usually used as a dressing here. Because its taste is rich and catchy, you should pay attention to the following tips:

Real mozzarella cheese in Italy is made from buffalo milk. Because of this, its packaging must bear the inscription “Mozzarella di Bufala”. If you can’t purchase (find) the original, you can safely take its analogue, made from cow’s milk. Mozzarella balls should be smooth and juicy, and also come with plenty of brine.
It is better to choose medium-sized tomatoes. Perfect if their diameter coincides with the diameter of the mozzarella balls. In addition, they should be juicy and ripe.
Olive oil for caprese is only Extra Virgin Olive Oil and only cold pressed.
Balsamic vinegar is worth choosing among higher quality dressings imported from Italy. One of these is “balsamic”, produced in the Italian province of Modena.
The basil should be fresh, have an even greenish color and not have any damage.

By observing all these conditions in the selection of ingredients for caprese salad, you can prepare a truly tasty Italian dish that will leave behind a pleasant aftertaste and colorful memoirs.

Italian Caprese or Mozzarella salad with tomatoes

Italian Caprese or Mozzarella salad with tomatoes is my weakness. I don’t understand what could be simpler and tastier than this cool appetizer made from a couple of ingredients. They mix so perfectly that they can only be supplemented with a few special little things, which I will tell you about at the moment. By the way, I recommend looking through the rest of the ordinary salads , they literally won’t be redundant

Content:

Few interesting things.
Ingredients.
Video recipe!
Expanded recipe with photos.
Laconic step-by-step recipe.
Results and conclusions.

What’s most enticing is that the cool appetizer takes 5-10 minutes to prepare! What to cook for dinner quickly and deliciously? Right! Italian Caprese salad with Mozzarella and tomatoes. By the way, not so long ago I made a whole collection of 20 complete dishes , the preparation of which will take a small amount of time, from 5 to 30 minutes , and you can download it right now by following the link given to us !

I prepared the Italian Caprese salad, the recipe with a photo of which I will now tell and show, when my beloved friends came to visit me and my boyfriend. Because there were several dishes for the dinner party, I decided not to bother too much and for the first part of the meal, serve a salad with Mozzarella and tomatoes, a cheese plate and cucumber rolls with Feta cheese and capers , which I will talk about a little later. Everyone was happy :)

For the second, by the way, I offered my guests-friends Lasagna with spinach and mushrooms , it naturally blew everyone away from the first bite, truly the most delicious Lasagna I have ever tried and made. And for dessert, everyone enjoyed a cottage cheese and blueberry pie on shortcrust pastry and also left satisfied and very full.

Now let's return to the topic of salads and cold appetizers - Caprese refers to both types of dishes. So, how to make Caprese salad. Step by step recipe with photos.

Ingredients

tomatoes – 1 large pink or 2 medium sweet
cheese – Mozzarella – 1 large ball (usually 125 g)
sea salt
dark pepper
to choose from:
basil – 3 sprigs (greenish)
vegetable oil – olive
vinegar - balsamic
or
Pesto sauce – 2 tbsp (recipe below)

Manufacturing method

Be sure to watch the recipe video first! I have my own YouTube channel , there are a huge number of other fascinating recipes and travel videos on it, everything is interesting, subscribe 😉

Caprese: video recipe

Step-by-step recipe with photos

Let's start preparing the Italian Caprese salad. One of the main ingredients is Mozzarella cheese. Caprese, by the way, may not include anything at all, except for this most delicate cheese and sweet tomatoes.

Once upon a time, in my hometown, I worked as a waiter in the best restaurant in this place, and before I started working there, I had to memorize the entire menu, all the definitions and unusual names of dishes and their components, unheard of at that time. To this day I remember that Mozzarella is “unleavened cheese made from the milk of dark buffaloes of the evening milking” :)

Naturally, in Russia, ordinary cow’s milk is used in its production, but it also turns out delicious. By the way, I can reveal for you one super-budget analogue of Mozzarella, which also mixes perfectly with tomatoes, just like the “original”. This is ordinary unleavened Adyghe cheese! To be honest, this is the only thing I use most of the time; I prefer the crumbly mixture and milky taste.

So, wash the tomatoes and basil. Cut the tomatoes into circles 0.5 cm wide. Drain the brine from the Mozzarella, blot it with a napkin and cut into circles of literally the same thickness. We take the plates and lay them in half, for example, overlapping mugs of tomatoes and cheese, alternating them with each other.

That's all :) All that remains is to put basil leaves on top, sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, pepper and salt if you want (I don’t add salt). Or you can make Caprese salad with Pesto sauce. It consists mainly of basil with olive oil, therefore it completely emphasizes the taste of the appetizer. Caprese with Pesto is indescribably delicious! Pesto sauce in 5 minutes .

As you have seen, Caprese sauce or Caprese dressing (photo below) is as common as the Italian salad itself. You can experiment a little without the help of others, just remember the basic rule - the presence of basil. And, of course, simplicity in combinations. As for me, Caprese salad with Pesto sauce is a more winning combination, so we pour it on top of Mozzarella and tomatoes.

You can add a little more olive oil and definitely pepper. Italian appetizer Caprese is ready!

Decorate the plate with greenish basil leaves and serve. Caprese salad, Pesto sauce, fragrant basil. What could be tastier? Let's summarize!

Laconic recipe: Caprese or Mozzarella salad with tomatoes

Wash the tomatoes and basil, remove the Mozzarella cheese from the brine and pat dry with a cardboard towel.
Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into 0.5 cm wide circles and place them on two plates, alternating the ingredients. You can also place it in a circle on one plate, the main thing is that the tomatoes and Mozzarella should be laid out overlapping.
Prepare Pesto sauce in 5 minutes according to this recipe and pour a little of it over the appetizer, or simply lay basil leaves on top, sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with black pepper and salt to taste.
Hooray! Now you understand how to cook Caprese quickly and deliciously!

The Italian appetizer Caprese is ready, and you can check out the rest of the recipes with Mozzarella , which you will also definitely like! Soon I will prepare another ordinary and delicious cool appetizer - cucumber rolls with Feta cheese and capers . So as not to miss out, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for the latest recipes , it’s free! In addition, when you subscribe, you will receive as a gift a whole collection of complete recipes containing 20 dishes, ready in 5 to 30 minutes!

Traditional caprese salad with mozzarella recipe

It would seem that there is no more dietary dish than caprese salad: the traditional recipe contains tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil and pesto. But if you take a closer look at the caloric content of the ingredients, you will find that pesto and olive oil contain a lot of fat, which can harm your diet.

I propose to correct this slight misunderstanding and remove one of the high-calorie ingredients from the traditional caprese recipe. We leave the olive oil because it will be healthier than the basil, cheese and nuts sauce. Rest assured, the mozzarella and tomato caprese salad still remains delicious and will not lose its authenticity in taste, because we use the freshest basil leaves.

Caprese salad: choose tomatoes and mozzarella
Traditional caprese salad recipe
Ingredients
Cooking caprese with mozzarella and tomatoes

Caprese salad: choose tomatoes and mozzarella

Caprese with mozzarella is the hallmark of Italy; it is not for nothing that the colors of the goods used in this dish coincide with the tricolor of the country’s municipal flag. To make it, take bright red tomatoes, snow-white cheese and greenish basil.

You should choose tomatoes that are huge and fleshy; the “Bull’s Heart” variety is perfect. The fruits of this particular variety do not contain much juice and have a sweetish, fragrant pulp. Tomato is a low-calorie vegetable for diet (Diet is a set of rules for human consumption of food) , contains many microelements that the body needs for real existence. Therefore, tomatoes are recommended to be used for making all dietary dishes.

When choosing cheese, you need to pay attention to the fat percentage; for dietary purposes, it is recommended to use mozzarella with reduced fat content. I buy light mozzarella 9% from Galbani.

As discussed earlier, traditional caprese is seasoned with olive oil. If in other options, for example, when making a salad from greenish radish, you can play around with the dressing recipe, then there are no options here. For caprese, it is recommended to take olive oil of the best quality available to you - it sets the main taste of the salad, highlighting the tomatoes and young cheese.

Traditional caprese salad recipe

Ingredients

200 g tomato
200 gr. Mozzarella Light
a few basil leaves
good quality olive oil
balsamic or balsamic cream caprese sauce
salt, dark freshly ground pepper.

caprese salad calorie content
per 100 g – 117 kcal proteins/fats/carbohydrates – 10.3/ 7.2/ 2.6

Cooking caprese with mozzarella and tomatoes

Before preparing a traditional caprese salad , you need to prepare the dishes on which it will be served. This dish looks more profitable if you create it in portions, separately for each person.

Tomatoes are cut into thin circles.
Mozzarella is thinly cut with a sharp knife. If you purchased the traditional version of young cheese, in the form of a head the size of a fist, then it is better to divide the circles of cheese in half. The size of the pieces in this case will be the same as that of tomato circles. If you use mini mozzarella, then it is more advisable to choose cherry tomatoes for making the salad.
The chopped tomatoes and cheese are beautifully arranged on a serving plate. Cooked products are sprinkled with olive oil and balsamic. The salad is sprinkled with finely chopped basil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

You see how easy it is to make caprese salad according to a traditional recipe - the article took longer to write than it took to make this dish. If you are not losing weight, then it is not forbidden to add a spoonful of pesto to the proposed set of ingredients. Or you can make a stallion move and replace the olive oil with pesto, in which case the calorie content of the salad remains the same, but the taste will be little different.

Don’t forget about the caprese salad recipe when preparing the menu for the gala table. It is very simple to prepare, while the taste properties often exceed the effort expended.