You can keep a caprese salad classic with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, but drizzling on pesto or balsamic syrup are easy ways to enhance it.
There are few special classics that are basically summer on a plate.
With tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella, the caprese salad is absolutely one of them, if not the best example.
I wish I could say that every summer we get our act together and plant a garden in containers on our back deck.
All sorts of commitments tend to get in the way from family to work. It’s amazing how watering plants once, maybe twice, a day sounds like too much to do.
As much as I want to claim a garden as my own, I turn to the farmers market for my tomatoes and basil.
The selection is pretty great, and I love taking in that relaxed atmosphere of a sunny weekend Saturday or Sunday to do my shopping.
A traditional caprese is sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and pepper all arranged beautifully on a serving platter.
But I do have a few variations that I like.
I will simmer balsamic vinegar until it reduces into a thick syrup. Then I drip that tart sauce on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella.
I don’t always have fresh basil at home. The leaves are so delicate that I tend to turn them into pesto to make them last longer.
There are so many things to do with pesto beyond pasta. It’s the perfect sauce to stir into grains or salads. I even love pesto in scrambled eggs.
Another option is to add baby greens like arugula and spinach and turn it into a more hearty salad.
Of course there is nothing wrong with keeping it to the Italian classic.
This is what you need for the salad:
You can stay simple and stick with olive oil. There is nothing wrong with that.
But you do have a couple other options. Simmer balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together to create a thicker syrup (a balsamic reduction) that has just a touch of sweetness.
Pesto is great, too. It’s herby and is always a perfect match with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
Summer is the most fleeting of the seasons, so I recommend eating a caprese salad as often as you can.
Also, it just tastes better on sunny hot days.
This classic Italian salad is endless inspiration for even more versions:
PrintYou can keep a caprese salad classic with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, but drizzling on pesto or balsamic syrup are easy ways to enhance it.
I never can decide between balsamic or pesto, so I use both. Is that ok??
★★★★★
Of course!
nothing beats a good caprese salad! definitely craving some right now..
It is the perfect summer dish!