How to Make the Best Caprese Salad

Our classic Caprese salad recipe is the ultimate summer salad. With just 4 ingredients plus salt and pepper, this tomato and fresh mozzarella salad is one of my favorite recipes on Inspired Taste.

How to Make a Perfect Caprese Salad

I know I’m not the only one who gets a little weak at the knees at the sight of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. This authentic Caprese salad, Insalata Caprese, is a classic Italian summer salad made with fresh ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and the occasional drizzle of high-quality balsamic vinegar.

This easy tomato and mozzarella salad is my go-to dinner throughout the summer. I make it for myself and serve my friends and family. It’s always a hit. For more tomato inspiration, see our classic bruschetta and our cherry tomato and feta salad.

Key ingredients for Caprese salad

Caprese salad is a traditional Italian dish that consists of tomato slices, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. It’s common to see Caprese salad served with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or basil pesto. I prefer to keep it simple and skip the balsamic and pesto, but feel free to add them if you like!

  • For the best Caprese salad, use great tomatoes. Look for ripe, juicy tomatoes. They should feel heavy for their size and smell earthy and sweet. The better it smells, the better the chance of a perfect tomato. When tomatoes come into season around us, we know it’s time to make as many Caprese salads as we can!
  • Fresh mozzarella is best for Caprese salad. It’s soft and holds onto the olive oil, salt, pepper, and the juices that the tomatoes release as they sit with the salt. Burrata, which has an almost cream-like middle, is also an option. When I add burrata to salads, I keep it whole until we are ready to eat. Then, I pierce the middle and allow the creamy inside to fall over the tomatoes and basil. AMAZING.
  • Our salad dressing is simple: olive oil and the juices the tomatoes release as they sit with a bit of salt. Since this salad is so simple, use your best olive oil. I have a few bottles of olive oil in my kitchen and always make sure I have at least one bottle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest classification given to olive oil. The quality still varies among bottles of extra virgin olive oil. Still, it does mean that it’s gone through minimal processing, which tells you it has the most flavor and aroma compared to regular olive oil.
Perfect Caprese Salad Recipe

Assembling Caprese salad

My last tip for making the best Caprese salad is to treat it like a layered salad. I choose a wide bowl or plate and start with a layer of tomato slices. Those slices get a sprinkle of salt, some pepper, and a slight drizzle of olive oil, and then I tuck in some basil leaves and mozzarella pieces that I’ve simply pulled into small chunks.

Once I have one layer done, I’ll add another, repeating with tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil, mozzarella, and olive oil. By layering and seasoning, as I go, I guarantee that every bite of the salad is seasoned and delicious.

How to Make the Best Caprese Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil

What to serve with Caprese salad

I’m happy to polish off an entire plate of Caprese salad without any help from others or other dishes. That said, a few slices of homemade focaccia or grilled bread rubbed with some garlic (like we do when making bruschetta) is lovely. You can also add some protein, try our Caprese Chicken Salad.

How to Make the Best Caprese Salad

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Caprese salad (or Insalata Caprese) is a simple salad made with ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. It’s important to use quality ingredients for the best classic Caprese salad. Check our article for tips on choosing tomatoes, mozzarella, and olive oil.

Makes 4 small servings (as a side or appetizer)

You Will Need

1 pound ripe tomatoes, see notes

4 to 5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Handful fresh basil leaves

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Directions

    1Slice tomatoes into thin slices. For a more rustic salad with many shapes and textures, we leave some slices as full circles and slice a few into half-moon shapes. If using smaller tomatoes, like cherry tomatoes, cut in half and thirds, adding a variety of shapes and sizes to the salad.
    Tear the mozzarella cheese into smaller chunks.

    2Pick the basil leaves from the stem. Leave smaller leaves whole and tear larger leaves in half or into quarters.

    3Arrange half the tomatoes onto a serving plate and lightly season with salt and pepper. Add a light drizzle of olive oil, then tuck some of the basil and a few pieces of the torn mozzarella in and around the tomatoes. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, seasoning them with salt and pepper and layering in more basil and mozzarella.

    4Set the salad aside for 5 to 15 minutes. The salt will draw some juices out of the tomatoes, making an incredibly delicious dressing at the bottom of the plate (perfect for sopping up with bread).

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Caprese salad is best served within an hour or two after making. More than that and the tomatoes will lose some of their texture.
  • We love using a mixture of sizes, colors, and varieties of tomato. Choose smooth skinned, heavy tomatoes that smell sweet and earthy.
  • Burrata cheese is an excellent substitute to fresh mozzarella and has an almost molten middle of cream. If using burrata, layer the seasoned tomatoes and basil first, then place a ball of burrata right on top of the salad. When it is pierced, the creamy inside will fall over the salad.
  • Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 serving (1/4 of the dish) / Calories 187 / Total Fat 15.2g / Saturated Fat 5.7g / Cholesterol 28mg / Sodium 373.6mg / Carbohydrate 5.2g / Dietary Fiber 1.4g / Total Sugars 3.4g / Protein 8.9g
AUTHOR:  Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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5 comments… Leave a Review
  • Chris July 1, 2023, 5:47 pm

    I figured I’d try your recipe for caprese salad because your recipes are always SO good. But — I’ve never really *loved* caprese salad, even with really good tomatoes. I’m going to follow your technique exactly. Maybe I’m not using enough salt. But I have a question for next time (which will be soon, since I have a lot of mozzarella and tomatoes on hand). What do you think about garlic? Could I steep a garlic clove in some EVOO for a bit, so there’s a little yummy garlickiness involved? Or could I smash and mash up a clove of garlic with a little salt, and stir that into the EVOO?

    Reply
    • Joanne September 6, 2023, 7:04 pm

      Hi Chris, Thanks for your kind words. Yes, you can absolutely add garlic. My preferred way is to rubs raw garlic on toasted bread and then serve the garlic bread with the tomatoes and mozzarella. If you don’t want the bread, you could finely mince or grate a small amount of garlic into the oil before drizzling over the tomatoes (maybe 1/2 a small clove).

      Reply
  • Gina January 9, 2022, 6:57 pm

    Love your recipes and so easy to make 😋

    Reply
  • Linda Wood January 18, 2021, 9:50 am

    Really like your recipes

    Reply
  • Kelley Ryan August 3, 2019, 10:07 pm

    Your Caprese Salad Recipe with Insider Tips turned out as delicious as I’ve ever enjoyed at a Restaurant (in Italy or USA)! I’m excited to try more of your fine Recipe offerings.

    Reply

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