Insalata Caprese, or caprese salad, doesn’t have vinegar. It’s a simple salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil dressed with extra virgin olive oil. Sop up the olive oil, salt, and pepper with some crusty sourdough or French bread.
EQUIPMENT: cutting board, chef’s knife
A simple salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil dressed with extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients
2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 cherry size balls fresh mozzarella
16 fresh basil leaves
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black peppercorns to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic or champagne vinegar (optional)
crusty sourdough or French bread
Directions
- Drizzle 4 tablespoons of olive oil on each of two plates.
- Arrange tomato, mozzarella, and 8 basil leaves on each plate.
- Drizzle with remaining oil. Season each salad with salt and pepper.
- Chiffonade cut the remaining basil leaves and arrange over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- A true caprese salad does not have vinegar as an ingredient. I have listed it as optional.
- Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the seasoned olive oil.
