Salad Days: Easy Caprese Salad

When it’s hot outside I enjoy salads. I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorites in a series with you. Juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh basil are featured in my easy Caprese salad.

Can’t wait for the recipe? Skip ahead to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Each year we plant a garden with our boys. We always have lots of varieties of tomatoes. For some reason, this year, we opted for mostly cherry tomatoes. We have some yellow and red. They’re doing so well despite the drought we’re having.

Our youngest, Conor, LOVES just eating them straight off the bush.

I was able to harvest enough for this easy salad.

We decided to renew our BJ’s membership in April because they were one of the only places offering delivery, but I’ve started shopping there more regularly. As you can imagine, with two growing boys we go through food very quickly in our home. BJ’s sells a four pack four pack of Mozzarella cheese for a similar price to one or two at our local supermarket. I was also able to get two giant basil plants for $8.99!

Whenever I think of summer, I always think of the smell of basil and fresh tomatoes growing.

It may be my Italian heritage on my mom’s side but I love tomatoes and basil TOGETHER. In fact, I think it was in Italy that I had my first Caprese Salad. This salad is filling enough as a meal. I usually make this and we’ll have another type of salad or some sausages or fresh baked bread on the side to dip in the the olive oil.

I like using white wine vinegar in my salad, but also love aged balsamic. You can use either.

The cheese is refreshing and creaming on a hot day.

Easy Caprese Salad

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes (I used cherry) but you can use any kind you enjoy
• Fresh basil
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• White Wine Vinegar (or Aged Balsamic)
• Salt an Pepper to taste

Method

On a flat plate spread out sliced Mozzarella cheese. I buy the kind that is already sliced as it just makes it quicker.

Scatter tomatoes on the plate. Top with chopped fresh basil.

Drizzle with EVOO and white wine vinegar.

Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also use a bit of lemon juice and zest but it’s not neccessary.

Caprese salad is my “go to” if we’ve been out at the beach or spent all day at the pool and I don’t feel like turning the oven on.

We all love this salad so much! There’s something so comforting and refreshing about it. If you try it at home I’d love to hear if you enjoyed it. What salads are you making this summer?

Find more recipe inspiration here!

Easy Caprese Salad

Danielle Driscoll

A refreshing and crisp salad that incorporates the tastes of Italy and the flavors of summer in one dish.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound tomatoes cherry or your favorite heirloom variety
• 1 bunch basil
• 1 ball mozzarella
• olive oil extra virgin to drizzle
• Vinegar used white wine but can use balsamic to drizzle
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Wash tomatoes and basil leaves
• tomatoes and cheese
• basil
• Sliced tomatoes and cheese on plate. Top with chopped basil
• with olive oil and vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add zest and juice of lemon
• Serve this immediately to family and friends for a lovely lunch or side dish

Notes

Perfect dish for fresh grown tomatoes and basil.

Balsamic adds a heavy and bolder flavor rather than white wine vinegar.

Keyword tomato, buffalo mozerella