Name: Caprese Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 or 2 large heirloom, campari or vine ripened tomatoes (, sliced into medium thin slices); 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (sliced into medium thin slices); large handful fresh basil leaves; 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (, or more to taste); flakey sea salt (, for finishing)

An easy Italian Caprese Salad recipe has flavorful tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil arranged on a plate and topped with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. It only takes 10 minutes and the flavor is perfection!

An Italian Caprese Salad recipe with slices of tomato and mozzarella arranged on a plate then topped with fresh basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

I think Caprese Salad is the easiest way to impress.

There's really nothing like the fresh taste and flavor combo from a caprese salad, and it's so beautiful and easy to serve.

The ingredients are few, but so important! You must use high quality, ripe tomatoes like heirloom, campari or vine ripe tomatoes. Use fresh mozarella cheese, and fresh basil. A good quality extra virgin olive oil is essential for drizzling on top (I love this oil dispenser), and flakey sea salt to finish off the dish.

In Italy traditional Insalata Caprese (it's name comes from Capri, an island off the coast of Naples, Italy) doesn't have balsamic glaze but if you love it, feel free to drizzle some on top.

All of the ingredients for a mozzarella caprese salad: mozzarella, cheese, tomato, basil, and salt.

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Recipe

5 from 19 votes

Caprese Salad

Make a beautiful and easy Italian Caprese Salad in 10 minutes, with the best quality ingredients, and the end result is perfection!

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Author Lauren Allen

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

Calories 226

Cost 5

Prep 10

Total 10

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Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 or 2 large heirloom, campari or vine ripened tomatoes , sliced into medium thin slices
▢ 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced into medium thin slices
▢ large handful fresh basil leaves
▢ 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil , or more to taste
▢ flakey sea salt , for finishing

Instructions

Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the mozzarella and tomato into about ¼ inch thick (or thicker if you like) slices.
1 or 2 large heirloom, campari or vine ripened tomatoes, 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
Grab a large plate and alternately add tomato and mozzarella slices, slightly overlapping.
Drizzle a little bit of good quality extra virgin olive oil on top. Sprinkle basil over the top, or tuck smaller leaves throughout. Garnish with flakey sea salt and fresh cracked pepper if you'd like.
large handful fresh basil leaves, 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, flakey sea salt

Notes

Yield: 8 slices tomato, 8 slices mozzarella.

Serving Size: 2 slices tomato, 2 slices mozzarella.

Make Ahead Instructions: caprese salad is definitely best served fresh but will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you need to make it ahead of time, slice the mozzarella and tomatoes and store them separately in the refrigerator.

Balsamic Glaze : balsamic is not traditionally added to caprese salad, but feel free to drizzle on a little at the end. Make your own balsamic glaze, or I love the Trader Joes brand).

Cherry Tomatoes: if making caprese salad with cherry tomatoes I like to use fresh mozzarella pearls as well.

Veggies: You could add some cucumbers, lettuce, avocado, or any of your favorite veggies to make a salad.

Peach Caprese: use fresh sliced peaches in place of tomatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 14gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 362mgPotassium: 367mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1520IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 300mgIron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe May 2019. Updated June 2022 and June 2025.

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Recipe Rating

5 from 19 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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Autumn

2 years ago

Nice explanation and tips for assembling this dish. I would always bring something like this for a potluck or holiday party when I worked at a hospital. Some bozo would ask me for the recipe every damn time.
It was hard to even give a reasonable response.
Just look at it – lay out the 3 different ingredients.
Every. Single. Time.

Jazz

5 years ago

Brings back memories from being stationed In Gaeta and Naples! Grazie😊

Christy

6 years ago

Thanks for a simple recipe. It was better than caprese salad I’ve had at an Italian restaurant.I used fresh mozzarella from Costco and it was perfect.