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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Tomato Caprese Salad with Basil Dressing

    Published: Jun 27, 2011 · Modified: Jul 6, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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    Caprese salad is the essence of summer, just vine-ripened tomatoes, moist mozzarella cheese, and aromatic basil leaves. No cooking required, just slice, arrange, dress and enjoy. It’s the perfect example of the power of simplicity, allowing great ingredients to shine. With wonderful varieties of summer tomatoes available choose whatever looks best at your market.

    Slices of tomato and mozzarella with basil vinaigrette.
    Slices of tomato and mozzarella with basil vinaigrette.

    It was lunchtime in Florence, Italy. Touring the huge central market, the Mercato Centrale, left us hungry and ready for lunch. The market was filled with colorful produce stands and wine shops, butcher counters and fishmongers, heavenly cheese shops and bakeries. The prosciutto counter alone left us tourists standing in awe.  We tucked into a local ristorante.

    Prosciutto counter in Florence, Italy Central Market.
    Prosciutto counter in Florence, Italy Central Market.

    We watched with curiosity as the waiter delivered a platter of thinly sliced Prosciutto and a platter of freshly sliced tomatoes with mozzarella to the Italian family sitting next to us. Along with some bread and wine, it was a wonderful way to start a meal. Whenever I make a Caprese salad at home, I remember that sunny day in Florence.

    Buffalo Mozzarella

    When it comes to cheese, my favorite for a Caprese is buffalo mozzarella. Made from water buffalo milk, it has a sweet flavor and creamy texture.  Buffalo mozzarella comes in a container surrounded with a milky liquid. Drain off the liquid and slice.

    Its messy to cut because of its softness but the flavor and texture are heavenly. It melts in your mouth. If that's too messy for you, choose cows milk mozzarellas. Some are even pre-sliced for easier assembly. Choose a fresh style cheese, not the hard rubbery balls.

    Market in Cinque Terra, Italy.
    Market in Cinque Terra, Italy.

    Caprese Salad Basil Dressing

    Traditionally a Caprese has basil leaves tucked between the layers of tomatoes and cheese and is dressed with good olive oil. Because we love basil, I also dress the salad with a basil dressing.

    Stir a tablespoon or two of basil pesto into olive oil (liquifying the pesto) you get a fragrant emerald green dressing. Click here for my basil pesto recipe. Another option, add a drizzle with good quality balsamic vinegar.

    Whatever your choice in tomatoes, mozzarella and dressing, try making an easy salad Caprese this summer. For an appetizer style Caprese on a stick, try this recipe. It's great for entertaining.

    Florence, Italy at night.
    Florence, Italy at night.

    Tomato Salad Caprese | Florence, Italy

    Sally Cameron
    Choose the best fresh ripe tomatoes you can find and buffalo milk mozzarella, but use whatever good fresh mozzarella you can find, just not the hard rubbery balls. Fresh basil leaves and a basil dressing complete this easy, classic Italian salad. Serve as a delightful starter or even a light lunch with some fresh bread.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Appetizer, Salad
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 202 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 medium fresh tomatoes depending on the size and how much you plan to serve
    • 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese
    • a handful of fresh basil leaves
    • 2 tablespoons basil pesto homemade or store
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or more to make it liquidy
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1-2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar optional

    Instructions
     

    • Slice tomatoes about ¼″ thick and place on a platter or plate. Drain and slice the mozzarella cheese. Place cheese slices between the tomato slices. Tuck fresh basil leaves in here and there.
    • For dressing, stir together the basil pesto and olive oil until it’s a thin dressing. Drizzle over the salad and season with salt and pepper. As an option, splash on a little high quality balsamic vinegar but it’s lovely on its own.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 8gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 318mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1367IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) says

      June 29, 2011 at 2:35 am

      What spectacular photos. I love how you used a mix of red and yellow tomatoes. SO pretty!

      Reply
    2. Michelle says

      June 28, 2011 at 3:19 pm

      Beautiful photos (as usual!) and great article. Three things I stopped and thought about. FIrst, I often don't think I can make this sort of salad without using a nice thick balsamic vinegar reduction sauce, (which is yummy, but then hard to pair with light afternoon wines), so this is a wonderful solution. Second, I love the statement about great ingredients are wonderful simple. As my cooking has improved I have felt like I can use less ingredients, but you just put words to the slow transformation! Last, I didn't pay attention to which type of soft mozzarella I was picking up, so I will definitely be watching for buffalo vs cow to try! Thanks for sharing your passion with all of us!

      Reply

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    1. Roast Chicken Breasts – The Beauty of Basics — A Food Centric Life says:
      08/01/2011 at 6:04 am

      [...] Salad Caprese with Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil Dressing  [...]

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    chef sally cameron | afoodcentriclifecom.bigscoots-staging.com

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