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Combining fresh, simple ingredients like ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, this bright and easy Tomatoes Caprese Salad is perfect for warm weather and bright sunny days! Ready in 10 minutes or less!
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Tomatoes with Cheese and Basil
One of the benefits to living in Florida is that I have access to fresh, ripe, and juicy tomatoes for most of the year. You bet these tomatoes are going right into a bright and flavorful caprese salad.
Tomatoes with cheese and basil is the perfect combination for the start of summer. As soon as those beautiful tomatoes are at their peak, my family knows what's on the menu!
The simple ingredients in this easy caprese salad recipe are what make it so delicious. Its fresh flavors highlight the best parts of summer. And, best of all, you can transform this recipe to serve it in all kinds of fun ways, like caprese salad skewers or caprese pasta salad.
Reasons to Love Caprese Salad
- It uses fresh, simple ingredients. Caprese salad is essentially just tomatoes with cheese and basil, plus balsamic glaze. (Oh my gosh, this is my favorite part. I can't wait to share it with you!)
- It's easy to assemble. You're really just layering slices of cheese and tomatoes with fresh basil leaves and dressing.
- The presentation is beautiful. It might be simple, but tomatoes and mozzarella salad always looks gorgeous on a plate, especially for parties.
- Finally, it's perfect for summer! On warm summer days, nothing could be better than this sweet and refreshing salad recipe.
I have a story about this tomato caprese salad. Before my family and I moved out of town, we would sometimes visit a local artisanal cheese store as a treat for special occasions, and it was always so much fun.
Once summer hit, though, you had to be there ahead of everyone else, because customer after customer would come in with a big bag of farmer's market tomatoes, looking to buy up all of the mozzarella! I'm not kidding - they would sell out every week. Everyone loves a good tomatoes and mozzarella salad!
Caprese Salad Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Fresh heirloom tomatoes are a must for this recipe! Cherry and grape tomatoes are delicious choices too. I don't recommend Roma tomatoes unless they're in season, as they are often picked before they're ripe.
- Fresh Mozzarella: The star of the show in this recipe is the fresh mozzarella cheese. Get the ball style mozzarella that's sold in a container of whey. This ultra-soft, mild cheese is very different than the low-moisture hard mozzarella sold for shredding.
- Basil: Get fresh, tender basil leaves! You can choose your favorite variety. I personally prefer sweet basil or purple basil. It has to be fresh basil, dried won't work!
- Balsamic Glaze: The consistency is important! You want a thick glaze, not a vinaigrette or pure vinegar. If you want a less sweet version you can also use balsamic reduction. Keep an eye out for my balsamic glaze recipe - coming soon!
- Olive Oil: A splash of rich extra virgin olive oil is a must for this salad. I don't recommend using any other type of oil.
- Salt and Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper and a flaky sea salt are unsung salad heroes! The salt adds a delicious crunch, and the pepper adds just enough bite to keep the salad interesting.
How to Make Caprese Salad
Step 1: Slice the tomato and mozzarella ball into thin slices, then lay them against each other in a row on a serving platter, interspersing rinsed basil leaves between them. If you're using mini mozzarella balls (or mozzarella pearls) and cherry tomatoes, slice them in half or pierce them on skewers in interchanging order (cheese, tomato, basil, cheese, tomato, basil).
Step 2: Drizzle the layered tomatoes and cheese with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. I recommend a large flake salt for that incredible crunch!
Step 3: Fill gaps in the platter with fresh basil leaves, then drizzle balsamic glaze over the entire dish. Serve, and enjoy! I recommend serving it with forks or skewers, or dishing out servings with a spatula.
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Isabel's Tips for Making Caprese
- This easy caprese salad can be made into caprese skewers! Just use mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes, then skewer the mozzarella balls and tomatoes on barbecue skewers with folded basil leaves between each cheese and tomato layer.
- Use the best quality, freshest tomatoes you can for this recipe; they're the bulk of the flavor. I highly recommend heirloom tomatoes if you can find them, or grape tomatoes if they're out of season. Greenhouse tomatoes will not taste the same and have a grainier texture.
- You can use store-bought glaze or make your own! Just don't use flat balsamic vinegar, as it won't stick to the salad well and won't be sweet enough.
- Dice the ingredients into bite-sized pieces and mix them into cooked, cooled pasta to make a super easy tomato mozzarella pasta salad!
Isabel's Top Tip
Make sure to get fresh mozzarella! Low-moisture, firm mozzarella that comes in blocks won't work the same, as the texture is too firm and the flavor too salty.
Storing Leftover Tomato Caprese Salad
While best served fresh, leftovers can be chilled by placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Eat it up quickly, as tomato tends to start getting soggy fast once sliced!
Caprese Salad Recipe FAQ
Big, juicy tomatoes are the best for caprese, but you can use any kind of tomato you have. If you have cherry tomatoes and full-sized mozzarella balls, I recommend dicing the mozzarella into bite-sized cubes and skewering them alongside the tomatoes and basil on bamboo skewers. Or, add them to a bowl alongside the diced mozzarella and basil, and toss them in the balsamic glaze and oil.
Try using burrata, feta, or goat cheese rather than mozzarella if you want to try something different. Burrata is my favorite alternative - it is so delicious in everything from salad to burrata pasta!
You can absolutely add protein! I've found that tomato mozzarella salad pairs well with grilled chicken breast or defrosted, fully cooked shrimp. Just slice the chicken thinly and layer it alongside the tomatoes and mozzarella, or if using shrimp, de-tail them and leave them whole.
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Tomatoes Caprese Salad
Equipment
- 1 Serving platter
Ingredients
- 3-4 Tomatoes - ripe, sliced ¼" thick
- 16 oz Fresh mozzarella - sliced ¼" thick
- ⅓ cup Basil - Fresh whole leaves
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil - for drizzling
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic glaze - for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt - large flakes
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper - freshly cracked
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, then layer them in alternating order across the platter so each layer is showing.3-4 Tomatoes,16 oz Fresh mozzarella
- Tuck basil leaves between and around the tomato and mozzarella slices, then season the whole thing generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper.⅓ cup Basil,2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil,½ teaspoon Sea salt,½ teaspoon Black pepper
- Drizzle the platter with balsamic glaze, then serve, and enjoy!2 Tablespoons Balsamic glaze
Notes
- This easy caprese salad can be made into caprese skewers! Just use mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes, then skewer the mozzarella balls and tomatoes on barbecue skewers with folded basil leaves between each cheese and tomato layer.
- Use the best quality, freshest tomatoes you can for this recipe; they're the bulk of the flavor. I highly recommend heirloom tomatoes if you can find them, or grape tomatoes if they're out of season. Greenhouse tomatoes will not taste the same and have a grainier texture.
- Make sure to get fresh mozzarella! Low-moisture, firm mozzarella that comes in blocks won't work the same, as the texture is too firm and the flavor too salty.
- You can use store-bought glaze or make your own! Just don't use flat balsamic vinegar, as it won't stick to the salad well and won't be sweet enough.
- Dice the ingredients into bite-sized pieces and mix them into cooked, cooled pasta to make a super easy tomato mozzarella pasta salad!
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