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Caprese Salad
I've been making this salad since I was a teenager helping my mom at the farmers market, but it's only in the last few years that I started treating it as something special rather than just side dish filler. The secret to getting it right is using vine-ripened tomatoes when they're available — not because they look prettier on the plate, but because they have enough juice and sweetness that you barely need salt at all.
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the tomatoes into ¼-inch rounds on a cutting board and lay them out in a single layer, slightly overlapping — this gives you more surface area for dressing to cling to.
- Tear the mozzarella into rough chunks about the size of your thumb rather than slicing it neatly — the uneven edges look more rustic and hold onto olive oil better than clean cuts do.
- Arrange alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella on a serving platter or individual plates, tucking torn basil leaves between each layer so the green peeks through when you serve it.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle evenly with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Let it sit for five minutes before serving so the salt can penetrate into the tomatoes and bring out their natural sweetness.
Nutrition
Notes
When I make this for guests, I slice everything ahead of time and keep the mozzarella in its brine until the last minute. That small thing about keeping it moist makes a noticeable difference when you're arranging slices on a platter and want them to hold their shape without weeping onto your linen.
I serve this alongside grilled fish or chicken, but honestly, I eat half of it straight from the cutting board while I'm prepping dinner. A little drizzle of good olive oil and some cracked pepper is all you need — nothing fancy, nothing complicated, just tomatoes and cheese at their best.
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