First of all I know Caprese salad is easy to make and you don’t really need a recipe but there are a lot of variations and add in’s you can include to make it your own in ways you can’t even dream of!
One of my favorite things to make for lunch or an appetizer is Caprese salad. It’s quick, easy and delicious. You only need a few ingredients that are fairly cheap and can add different things to change it up a bit. I just love biting into the sweet fresh ingredients it relaxes me and sometimes I just need simplicity in my life.
Grocery List—
-Best tomatoes you can find (I get mine from the Farmer Market during the Summer and Fall) or buy the deepest red colored tomatoes I can find. Roma tomatoes would be the best if your going for looks because they slice up nicely. I love to pick up some fun colored heirlooms or yellow tomatoes for color variation.
-Fresh Mozzarella make sure it’s the squishy kind and not the hard kind. If they have handmade fresh at the store I usually get that one rather than the kind that’s shipped in. Jungle Jim’s has a fresh mozzarella rolled with Pepperoni that is to die for!!!
-GOOD Olive oil– What is good olive oil? The kind that smells fruity or peppery, if it smells like olives they picked them too ripe and it won’t give you the same flavor. It’s also not as good for you as the kind made with the lesser ripe olives. Don’t ask me why this is what we were told when we went olive oil tasting in Chianti, Italy and I believe them.
– GOOD Balsamic Vinegar- Invest in a good balsamic vinegar. You don’t need to spend more than $15-$20 to get a really good bottle of balsamic vinegar. The one I buy costs around $12 for the small and $17 for the large bottle. You also want to pick up some balsamic GLAZE. This stuff is tricky and messy to make but quick/easy/delish to buy! I almost never make a caprese without it!
-High Quality Salt and Pepper- It’s important to have high quality seasonings if you want high quality taste. Check out this Maldon Sea Salt that has a flaky crunch (also great for avocado toast) and totally worth the $6 to order it on amazon here!
Add in’s
-Fresh Basil- Stack the leaves on top of each other and roll them in a cigarette type fashion then slice thinly to create pretty chiffonade ribbons or just rough chop it if your not concerned with having the pretty ribbons and it will look more rustic.
-Flat leaf Parsley- If I have it I add it. Parsley is a great superfood and something I always keep on hand!
-Red Onion- Cut the onion into paper thin strips and soak in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Remove and let sit on a towel for a few minutes. Then add to salad.
-Dried herbs- If I don’t have fresh I use dried herbs. I like to order my herbs from here because they have fresh high quality dried herbs that are affordable! I love ordering them in the flat packs and putting them into my own glass jars at home!
-Roasted or Fresh Garlic- If you are one of those garlic people then this would be a good dish to add it to. I personally only put garlic in my bruschetta but it’s a great superfood addition to your salad!
-Pesto- Pesto is one of the most amazing things on the planet!! Anytime you have a bunch of leftover fresh Italian herbs you should be making this stuff!! You can use it in anything!! So if you have some or want to make some it would be great on the Caprese!! I love to spread a little pesto on top of the mozzarella rounds after I slice them.
-Greens- Make it into an actual SALAD!! Arugula goes good here because it has that peppery taste to it that syncs with the olive oil. You could add some microgreens on top or serve on top of field greens!
– Roasted Red peppers– I had a caprese salad in Napa Valley with roasted red peppers on top and it was SO good. The sweetness of the roasted peppers pairs beautifully with the balsamic vinegar/glaze.
**After plating and before serving put the entire plated salad in the fridge for about 15 minutes. It will chill your tomatoes and give the salad time to marinate. The plate itself will get cold allowing your salad to stay cooler longer.
