I love to make the most of summer tomatoes by showcasing them in recipes like tomato avocado salad, stuffed tomatoes, and this super easy tomato mozzarella dish.
Caprese Salad Ingredients
When you make caprese salad you will need tomatoes, small mozzarella balls, basil leaves, olive oil, balsamic glaze, salt and pepper. Caprese salad is a perfect salad to enjoy the flavors of summer. It’s one of my favorite summer salads along with mango salad, carrot salad, corn salad, green bean salad and watermelon salad. Why not embrace the flavors of summer with a fresh salad?
How Do You Make Caprese Salad?
The first component of this dish is the tomatoes. Get the best tomatoes you can. The tomatoes are cut into bite sized pieces, then placed in a bowl with fresh mozzarella cheese balls and fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle salt and black pepper into extra virgin olive oil. Drizzle that olive oil over the tomatoes and everything gets tossed together. The finishing touch is a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Tips For The Best Caprese Salad
You can use vine ripened tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Campari tomatoes or Roma tomatoes for this recipe. Choose whatever is in season and fresh. I like to use whole small basil leaves, but you can chop your basil if you prefer. Balsamic glaze is a thickened balsamic vinegar with a richer, more complex taste. You can find this glaze at most grocery stores near the vinegars or salad dressings. Serve your salad alongside grilled chicken kabobs, grilled swordfish or grilled lobster tail for a light and summery meal.
Tomato Salad Variations
This salad is delicious as-is, but you can add a variety of other ingredients to customize this recipe to your tastes.
Protein: Add up to 1 cup of diced grilled chicken breast, chickpeas, grilled shrimp or white beans. You can also add 1/2 cup of cooked crumbled bacon. Vegetables: Amp up the veggie factor with the addition of avocado, zucchini noodles, artichoke hearts or roasted peppers. Herbs: Add up to 1/4 cup of mixed herbs such as parsley, dill and chives.
I make this salad on repeat during the summer tomato season when tomatoes are at their peak ripeness. It’s also a perfect side dish for picnics and grilling. This delicious salad has a short prep time and bold flavor that is perfect all summer long.
