Caprese Salad, Summer Style

Caprese is the epitome of summer.

For years we planted a tomato garden. We always grow a few roma plants, 1 cherry tomato (they’re my go-to!) and a few beefsteak for things like blt’s, my mother in law’s tacos and caprese platters. But then life happened (and hornworms – ack!) and we stopped planting the tomato garden. Now whenever we are gifted with tomatoes from friends or my in-laws gardens, I always make this caprese salad. It’s simple, light and refreshing and goes with only about anything.

Garden tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil drizzled with quality olive oil. It’s quite truly what dreams are made of.

To cook this Summer Caprese Salad Recipe Set out:

• a few large tomatoes – For go-to flavor use garden tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes.
• fresh mozzarella – Pre-sliced or torn will also work.
• basil leaves – Adds fresh distinct flavor.
• quality olive oil – Once meant for drizzling or finishing a dish.
• flakey sea salt – Adds bits of texture and enhances flavors.
• coarsely ground black pepper – Lends some subtle bite and flavor.
• balsamic glaze – Reduced balsamic vinegar is sweet and syrupy. Use kitchen-made or store-bought.

Simply look at these beauties!

For this dish, I always buy fresh mozzarella that is pre-sliced. Trust me, this will save you so much time and you will get evenly sliced mozzarella, a feat I’m not ever going to win at on my own.

So, with that said, a 1 pound log of pre-sliced mozzarella will give you 16 slices. Which means gather enough large tomatoes to get 16 slices.

Then you simply layer; tomato, mozzarella and a fresh basil leaf.

Repeat.

Drizzle with quality olive oil.

Season with flakey sea salt, coarsely ground black pepper and if you’re so inclined, drizzle with a few spoonfuls of balsamic glaze.

I mean 😍.

Ways to Enjoy This Caprese Salad:

I like to serve this with grill bread however, you can entirely enjoy this as is. It’s also truly great next grilled chicken, steak or salmon, a simple pasta dish or grilled vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and/or on top of a bed of arugula.

Enjoy! And if you give this Summer Caprese Salad Recipe recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!