Caprese Salad
Ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil with good olive oil and a little salt. A no-cook salad that lives or dies on its ingredients.
Caprese is less a recipe than an assembly job, which is exactly why it is so good. With four ingredients and no cooking, the quality of each one is the whole dish.
Use the ripest tomatoes you can find, fresh mozzarella, and a good olive oil. Salt it at the last second and you have a plate that tastes like summer.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe tomatoes
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- Handful of fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Balsamic glaze, optional
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella into rounds about a quarter-inch thick.
- Arrange them on a plate, alternating and overlapping the slices.
- Tuck whole basil leaves between the tomato and mozzarella.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
- Season with flaky salt and black pepper just before serving.
- Add a little balsamic glaze if you like, then serve right away.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Serving plate
Tips
- This dish is only as good as the tomatoes, so make it in summer when they are ripe.
- Take the mozzarella out of the fridge 20 minutes early; cold mozzarella has muted flavor.
- Salt the tomatoes right before serving so they do not weep and water down the plate.