Caprese salad with aromatic sauce. Making Italian Pesto Sauce Caprese Dish

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes - 3-6 pieces depending on size.
  • Mozzarella cheese - 250 grams (2 medium balls)
  • Basil - 1 bunch.
  • Pesto sauce - 2-3 tbsp. l.
  • Freshly ground black pepper.

Italian classics

The culinary symbols of Italy are pizza, pasta and Caprese salad. The perfect dish doesn't have to be complicated. All Italian cuisine adheres to the principle of simple and tasty, and the recipe for Caprese salad is not at all original, but there is something in this dish that is as elusive as a Mediterranean breeze, evoking dreams of the coast and the narrow streets of a southern city.

The classic Caprese salad includes red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese and fresh, aromatic basil. This is partly why Italians love the dish, the colors of which completely coincide with the country’s flag.

The Italian Caprese salad in its homeland - the island of Capri - has been elevated to the rank of a national treasure. You won’t find a single eatery that doesn’t serve this famous dish. It would seem that the simple composition may surprise few people, but no, every Italian chef has his own secret that makes the dish truly impressive.

The Italians themselves classify “Caprese” as an “antipasti” or cold appetizer. Salad is usually served before dinner, when the whole family gathers at the table. The dish must be accompanied by a glass of wine. But you don’t have to be Italian to replicate the famous recipe for Caprese salad with mozzarella and basil at home.

Of course, recipes with photos that describe the entire process step by step will help even a beginner prepare Caprese salad, but the main secret of the dish lies in the ingredients. The quality of the ingredients is a very important factor, because there are very few of them in the dish.

First of all, you need to find large, sweet and juicy tomatoes. The classic salad recipe uses the Ox Heart variety, but some cooks prefer cherry tomatoes. In any case, tasteless greenhouse varieties will not work, so it is better to prepare the salad during the vegetable season.

No less demands are placed on cheese. Mozzarella for salad should be fresh and young. In our stores you can often find cheese in brine; it is also suitable, the main thing is that the Mozzarella is not overdried. Mozzarella made from buffalo milk has the ideal taste for a salad.

And finally, basil is a herb that no Italian dish can do without. Please note that the basil in Caprese salad should be green, although purple is more common in supermarkets. Green is more aromatic and juicy; it is simply impossible to replace it with any other greens.

Another secret to the appetizer is the dressing, it can be just olive oil with salt and pepper. The most common is caprese salad with pesto sauce, which, according to some chefs, gives the dish a great final taste.

Preparing the salad

Preparing Caprese salad in itself is not difficult, especially if the ingredients are selected correctly. Using the recipe with the photo, you can serve the salad in an original way; for cheo, a large flat dish is best suited, on which we will lay out the ingredients.

  1. First, carefully cut the tomatoes into circles approximately 0.7-1 cm thick. They should all be the same size so as not to spoil the appearance of the dish. Cut the mozzarella into slices of the same thickness.
  2. Another secret of the Caprese salad recipe is the layout. Tomatoes and mozzarella need to be alternated, placing one on top of the other with a slight shift. It is better to start from the edge of the plate, moving around the perimeter and towards the center.

According to this recipe, Caprese is served with pesto sauce. You can take it ready-made or make it yourself according to a recipe from Yulia Vysotskaya (especially for Caprese salad).

How to make pesto sauce?

For pesto you will need several bunches of fresh basil, a handful of roasted pine nuts or almonds, hard cheese, olive oil, garlic, pepper and sea salt. To grind the ingredients, it is better to use a regular mortar rather than a blender, since the greens can oxidize and turn brown.

  1. Crush the garlic and nuts together, then add salt, pepper and chopped basil, continuing to grind in a circular motion.
  2. When the contents of the mortar become creamy, you can add grated cheese.
  3. Continue squeezing the mixture for a while, adding olive oil at the end.
  4. For salad, the consistency of the sauce should be liquid, so you can add more oil.

Pour the resulting sauce generously over the Caprese salad. With pesto, its taste will become richer and more multifaceted.

  • Separate all the basil leaves and place them on the cheese and tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle coarse black pepper on top of the Caprese salad.

Serve Caprese salad immediately and always with slices of fresh white bread.

For dressing, you can simply use a mixture of olive oil with coarse sea salt and pepper. Having looked at the ideas in the photo, you can serve the Caprese salad in an original way by stacking the cheese and tomatoes in a mound, topping the slices with basil.

Caprese is an important part of modern Italian cuisine, but its history dates back only 250 years. This is explained by the fact that several centuries before this, tomatoes were almost never consumed raw.

Now it is popular not only in its homeland, but also in many other European countries. This light and beautiful salad quickly satisfies hunger and does not cause the feeling of overeating, which is why it is always present in the daily menu of Italians.

What it is

It is usually made from tomatoes and mozzarella. This easy-to-prepare and pleasant snack has long been elevated to the rank of national.

In appearance, the finished dish resembles the national flag of the Italian Republic.

Ingredients, how to choose ingredients for a dish

Ideally, mozzarella is made from black buffalo milk. Such a delicacy is difficult to find in our country. But if you find the note Mozzarella di Bufala on the package, then don’t hesitate to buy it!

But caprese cheese made from buffalo milk is not always available, especially outside big cities.

In these cases, a product made from cow's milk is used.. It can be found in the dairy section of every supermarket.

Tomatoes are an indigenous flavor ingredient. The most suitable tomatoes for caprese are the “Oxheart” variety.

If you don’t have such tomatoes on hand, don’t worry. The main thing is that the vegetables are fresh, pronounced taste and sweet aroma.

Basil must be fresh, have whole leaves and a strong characteristic aroma.

Olive oil should be taken exclusively from Extra Virgin of the highest grade, cold pressed. It should exhibit a specific aroma of olives, and the color should be slightly herbal.

How to cook

With mozzarella

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  • Wash the tomatoes, dry and cut into 5 mm circles. Cut the cheese balls into pieces 7 mm thick. Wash and dry the greens.
  • Place chopped tomatoes and mozzarella on a saucer one by one. Season the salad with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spray with balsamic vinegar and oil. Top with fresh basil leaves.

With chicken fillet

Ingredients:

  • Chicken breast - 500 g;
  • Bocconcini cheese - 8 balls;
  • Tomatoes - 4 pieces;
  • Fresh basil - ¼ cup;
  • Olive oil - 60 ml;
  • Red wine or balsamic vinegar - 60 ml;
  • Garlic - 1 clove;
  • Salt (to taste);
  • Freshly ground pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  • Heat the grill to medium temperature. Prepare the caprese sauce: mix garlic, oil, vinegar or wine, salt and pepper into a homogeneous mixture.
  • Place the chicken, pre-cut into small slices, in a shallow pan and coat it with 2 tablespoons of the mixture.
  • Place chicken on grill, cover and cook for approximately 4 minutes. During this time, the meat should turn white around the edges and be covered with a golden crust on top. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 4 minutes until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the grill and let the meat cool for 5 minutes.
  • Take a large bowl, put lettuce leaves there and mix with half the remaining sauce. Place the soaked leaves on plates. Place slices of cheese and tomatoes on them. Spread the rest of the sauce over the surface. Place chicken pieces on top. Salad ready!

With pesto sauce

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes - 120 g;
  • Olive oil - 20 ml;
  • Mozzarella - 120 g;
  • Pesto - 10 g;
  • Basil - 6-7 leaves;
  • Balsamic vinegar - 10 ml;
  • Freshly ground pepper (to taste);
  • Salt (to taste).

Preparation:

Cut ripe tomatoes and cheese balls into circles. Place the pieces one by one on a plate. Drizzle oil and aged balsamic vinegar on top. Serve with green leaves and season (preferably Genoese). You can serve!

On skewers

Ingredients:

  • Cherry tomatoes - 20 pieces;
  • Mozzarella - 300 gr;
  • Olive oil - 2 tablespoons;
  • Fresh basil leaves - 6-7 pieces;
  • Salt (to taste);
  • Ground allspice (to taste);
  • Toothpicks - 20 pieces.

Preparation:

Peel, rinse and place cherry tomatoes in a bowl. We cut the cheese balls into 20 cubes, approximately the size of cherry tomatoes. Add to tomatoes. Season everything with salt and pepper. We cut the washed and dried leaves and add them to the mixture. Top with oil.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly but very carefully. Thread cheese and tomato on a wooden skewer one by one. Place the finished skewers on a plate. Pour the remaining oil over the ingredients and season with allspice.

In the form of a cake

Ingredients:

  • Mozzarella - 70 grams;
  • Cherry tomatoes - 150 grams;
  • Basil - 7-8 leaves;
  • Vegetable oil - 20 g;
  • Salt, freshly ground pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

Wash small sweet tomatoes and remove stems. Cut the tomatoes crosswise into 2 equal parts. Place the cut side up on a plate and season with salt.

Divide the cheese balls into circles the size of the tomatoes.. Place pieces of cheese on tomatoes. We supplement each cylinder with a basil leaf and fasten the structure with a wooden skewer. Season with ground black pepper and olive oil on top.

Pizza

Ingredients:

  • Dry active yeast - 14 g;
  • Water - 480 ml;
  • Olive oil - 200 ml;
  • Salt - 3 teaspoons;
  • Wheat flour - 120 g;
  • Garlic - 8 cloves;
  • Rosemary - 60 g;
  • Asiago - 120 g;
  • Basil - 7-8 leaves;
  • Cherry tomatoes - 1 kg;
  • Mozzarella - 340 g.

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and leave for 5 minutes. Add oil to the solution, season with salt and mix thoroughly. In another bowl, mix 4 cups of flour with chopped garlic and rosemary. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour the yeast solution into it.

Stir the mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover the dough and place it in a warm place for 50 minutes to mature.

Add the remaining 2 cups of flour to the risen dough.. Knead until the flour is completely mixed with the dough. Then continue kneading for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes soft and pliable.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the baking tray with the dough in the upper part of the oven. Warm up for 30-35 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl and place it in a warm place again for 35 minutes.. After ripening, divide into 4 equal parts. Roll out each flatbread on a board sprinkled with flour. The size of the cake should correspond to the size of the baking sheet and be approximately 1 cm thick. Grease the surface of the pizza with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Sprinkle each pizza with 30 g of grated Asiago cheese. Place cut small cherry tomatoes, basil, and pieces of mozzarella on top. Place the cake on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. In 9 - 12 minutes the pizza is ready!

With avocado

Ingredients:

  • Mozzarella - 250 g;
  • Tomatoes - 4 pieces;
  • Avocado - 1 piece;
  • Arugula - 200 g;
  • Basil - 7-8 leaves;
  • Pitted olives - 10 pieces;
  • Vegetable oil;
  • Balsamic vinegar;
  • Salt;
  • Pepper.

Preparation:

Divide tomatoes and cheese into thin slices. Place them one by one along the edge of the plate. Line the center of the dish with arugula. We put a cut avocado on it, and olives in the very center. Season with salt and pepper, vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar. Decorate with basil on top.

With watermelon

Ingredients:

  • Mozzarella - 2 large balls;
  • Lemon zest - 1 teaspoon;
  • Lemon juice - 60 g;
  • Ground pepper - 1/2 teaspoon;
  • Salt - 1/2 teaspoon;
  • Olive oil - 1/3 cup;
  • Watermelon - 4 glasses;
  • Basil leaves - 6-7 leaves.

Preparation:

Cut the cheese into small circles and place on the bottom of the saucer. Cut the watermelon pulp into small cubes, after removing all the seeds. We try to make the cubes the same size. Separate the basil leaves from the stem, wash and dry.

In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the mixture of oil, lemon juice and zest., salt and pepper. Place cubes of watermelon pulp into the resulting mass and mix gently, being careful not to damage or crush the pieces.

Carefully place the watermelon soaked in the mixture on top of the cheese, previously laid out in the salad bowl. Cover everything with the remaining mixture and serve with green leaves.

With shrimps

Ingredients:

  • Cherry tomatoes - 10-15 pieces;
  • Mozzarella - 10-15 balls;
  • Arugula - 100 gr;
  • Shrimp - 10 pieces;
  • Olive oil;
  • Balsamic vinegar.

Preparation:

Cover a shallow dish with a layer of arugula. Place cherry tomatoes on top, cheese balls of the same size, and shrimp boiled or poached in oil. Season with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and vegetable oil.

With olives

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes - 2 pieces;
  • Mozzarella - 130 g;
  • Pitted olives - 70 g;
  • Olive oil - 40 g;
  • Lemon juice - 20 g;
  • Salt and pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems and cut into cubes. We also cut the cheese into cubes, the size of tomato cubes.

Place tomato cubes on the bottom of the serving bowls. Then add mozzarella. Next comes another layer of tomato cubes. Place olives on top.

Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil are laid out in order on fragrant toasted toast., lightly sprinkled with vegetable oil. This is a great option for parties!

Another acceptable option for guests is portioned pyramids of tomatoes, cheese and basil with caprese dressing.

The salad looks exquisite in a variety of forms. Here you can use all your imagination. An elegant serving with juicy tomatoes against a background of white cheese and fresh herbs will decorate any holiday!

Preparing caprese in any form does not take much time. It is perfect for serving before a light hot dish if you have unexpected guests.

This review presented the most common variations of the popular Italian salad. Gourmets can complement the presented recipes with their favorite products and discover new flavors. Bon appetit!

In contact with

Caprese is a popular Italian appetizer (many call it a salad). The combination of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil symbolizes the colors of the Italian flag. And the unusual taste of this dish won the hearts of many people.

The classic salad is very light and easy to prepare. This dish consists of only three ingredients: mozzarella, tomatoes and basil (cheese to tomato ratio 1:1). The calorie content of Caprese is about 130 kcal per 100 g of product.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • mozzarella cheese (300-350 g);
  • fresh tomato (2-3 pcs.);
  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (2-3 tbsp.);
  • salt, ground black pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Drain the liquid from the mozzarella and cut the cheese into large rings (slices).
  2. Wash the tomatoes, dry them and cut them into large rings (to make the rings neat, you need to use a sharp thin knife).
  3. Carefully place tomato rings in a circle on a plate, alternating them with slices of mozzarella.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil.
  5. Season with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  6. Garnish with basil.
A variety of spices and additives will give Caprese a unique and special taste. Experiment with ingredients. Sprinkle the salad with 2 tsp. capers, dry oregano and arugula. For dressing, use a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, finely chopped garlic and 1 tsp. honey (But this will no longer be a classic version of the dish.)

Salad ready!

An easy to prepare dish, complemented by a tasty and unusual sauce. There are a lot of variations in the preparation of this salad. One of the most popular recipes is Caprese with Pesto sauce. Recipes for this sauce are given below.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • mozzarella cheese (350 g);
  • fresh tomato (3 pcs.);
  • Pesto sauce (100 ml);
  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Drain the mozzarella and cut the cheese into large slices.
  2. Wash the tomatoes, dry them and cut them into large rings.
  3. Place tomatoes, cheese and basil leaves on a plate one by one.
  4. Pour pesto sauce over the dish.
  5. If desired, the dish can be salted with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper.

We offer you to watch a video recipe for Caprese salad with secrets from the chef:

The classic sauce recipe includes basil and nuts. This dressing will add zest to any dish, giving it a unique and unique taste.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3

Ingredients:

  • fresh basil (2 bunches);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (150 ml);
  • pine nuts (4 tbsp.);
  • parmesan cheese (100 g);
  • fresh garlic (3 cloves);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).
To add flavor to the sauce, use almonds, cashews or walnuts instead of pine nuts. Replace the basil with other herbs, such as arugula, cilantro, parsley or wild garlic leaves.

Preparation:

  1. Wash the basil, cut off the stems and chop finely.
  2. Grate the cheese on a fine grater.
  3. Place all ingredients in a blender and add olive oil.
  4. Whisk the sauce until smooth.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste. To stir thoroughly.
  6. Serve the sauce in a separate container or season the salad with it.

We invite you to watch a video recipe for Pesto sauce:

Pesto sauce with pumpkin seeds has a surprisingly delicate and unusual taste. Try adding it to your usual dishes and you will get completely new taste combinations.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3

Ingredients:

  • fresh cilantro (4 bunches);
  • peeled pumpkin seeds (100 g);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (100 ml);
  • garlic (3 cloves);
  • jalapeno pepper (1 pc.);
  • sea ​​salt (to taste);
  • ground red pepper (to taste);
  • lime/lemon juice (2-3 tsp);
  • water (1 tsp).

Preparation:

  1. Wash the cilantro, pat dry with a napkin and finely chop.
  2. Peel the garlic and cut into small pieces.
  3. Place garlic, pumpkin seeds in a blender, add salt to taste and grind the ingredients.
  4. Add jalapeno, red pepper, lime juice and cilantro to bowl. Grind the ingredients.
  5. Place the sauce in a bowl, add oil, water and mix thoroughly.
  6. The consistency of the sauce can be adjusted to taste using oil, water and lime juice, varying the amount to suit your taste.
Pesto sauce should be stored in the refrigerator in a bowl covered with cling film or in a container for no more than three days.

Bon appetit!

A very healthy and quite rare recipe for Pesto sauce. Avocado gives the dish a unique and delicate taste.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3

Ingredients:

  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • fresh avocado (1 pc.);
  • fresh garlic (2 cloves);
  • peeled almonds (50 g);
  • fresh lemon (1 pc.);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (50 ml.);
  • water (2 tbsp);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Squeeze lemon juice. Using a fine grater, rub off the top layer of lemon peel to obtain the zest.
  2. Wash the basil and remove excess moisture with a napkin. Finely chop.
  3. Peel the avocado, remove the pit and cut the flesh into small pieces.
  4. Peel the garlic and chop finely.
  5. Place all ingredients (lemon zest and juice, basil, garlic, almonds, oil and water) into a blender.
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grind the ingredients in a blender.
  7. The consistency of the sauce can be adjusted using oil, water and lemon juice, reducing or increasing their amount to taste.
Pesto sauce goes well with fried bread, pasta, ravioli, vegetables, ham, cheese, fish and meat.

The sauce is ready to serve!

A very easy salad to prepare. The freshness of the tomatoes and the tenderness of the mozzarella cheese give the dish a soft, creamy taste.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • mozzarella cheese (300 g);
  • cherry tomato (300 g);
  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Wash the tomatoes, pat dry with a napkin and cut into halves.
  2. Wash the basil and remove excess moisture with a napkin. Coarsely chop or tear the leaves with your hands.
  3. Drain the mozzarella balls. (If the cheese is large, cut into small slices).
  4. Place the tomatoes in a salad bowl, cover with cheese and sprinkle with basil.
  5. Drizzle oil over salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To give the salad a brighter taste, you can add red onion, olives and balsamic vinegar cut into rings to the ingredients.

The salad can be served!

A tasty and satisfying salad, a great idea for both lunch and dinner. It is a complete dish because it contains not only the usual salad ingredients, but also pasta.

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Number of servings: 3

Ingredients:

  • pasta made from durum flour (300 g);
  • cherry tomato (200 g);
  • mozzarella cheese (250 g);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (50 ml);
  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • salt and pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Boil the pasta al dente in salted water. Drain the water. Add oil and stir.
  2. Cut the tomatoes in half and scald with boiling water to soften the peel.
  3. Mix pasta with tomatoes.
  4. Drain liquid from mozzarella. If the cheese balls are large, cut them into small slices.
  5. Wash the basil, dry with a napkin and chop coarsely.
  6. Add cheese and basil to pasta.
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix carefully. (The salad can be served hot or cold.)
To give the salad a more delicate taste, replace vegetable oil with butter. For brighter flavors, season the salad with 3-4 tbsp sauce. l. olive oil, 1 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar, 1 clove garlic (finely chopped), 1 tsp. a mixture of dry Provençal herbs, salt and pepper.

Bon appetit!

Caprese salad with eggplant

Everyone knows about the classic recipe for Caprese salad with mozzarella and tomatoes. However, few people realize that if you add fried eggplants to it, the dish will sparkle with completely different flavor notes.

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Number of servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • fresh tomato (300 g);
  • fresh eggplant (200-300 g);
  • mozzarella cheese (350 g);
  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • vegetable oil (for frying, 30 ml);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (for dressing, 2-3 tbsp.);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).
Eggplant has a specific taste, so we recommend using less of it than tomatoes.

Preparation:

  1. Cut the eggplant into circles (about 0.7-1 cm thick) and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Wash the tomatoes, dry with a napkin and cut into large rings.
  3. Drain the mozzarella and cut into large slices.
  4. Place all the ingredients in the mold one by one.
  5. Garnish with basil, pour olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve it to the table!

A very tasty and healthy dish with cheese and avocado. Easy to prepare and does not require prior preparation.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • fresh tomato (2 pcs.);
  • mozzarella cheese (350 g);
  • fresh avocado (2 pcs.);
  • basil/arugula/other fresh herbs (1 bunch);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Peel the avocado, remove the pit and cut the flesh into large slices.
  2. Wash the tomatoes, dry them and cut them into large rings.
  3. Drain the mozzarella and cut the cheese into large slices.
  4. Wash the greens and dry with a napkin. Coarsely chop or tear by hand.
  5. Place a “pillow” of greens in a salad bowl.
  6. Place tomatoes, cheese and avocado on the greens in random order.
  7. Season with oil, add salt and pepper to taste.
To prevent the avocado fruit from darkening, you can sprinkle it with lemon juice.

Bon appetit!

You don’t have to limit yourself to just tomatoes in Caprese: you can add many other vegetables to the dish. We offer a recipe for a hearty, fresh and tasty salad with mozzarella and vegetables.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • mozzarella cheese (350 g);
  • fresh tomato (2 pcs.);
  • fresh cucumber (1 pc.);
  • fresh carrots (1 pc.);
  • fresh bell pepper (1 pc.);
  • fresh basil (1 bunch);
  • green onion/red onion (1 bunch/1 pc.);
  • olive/other vegetable oil (4 tbsp);
  • salt, pepper (to taste).

Preparation:

  1. Wash the tomatoes, dry with a napkin and cut into large slices.
  2. Wash the cucumber, peel if desired and cut into thin slices.
  3. Peel the carrots and cut into cubes (you can boil them a little).
  4. Wash the pepper, dry it with a napkin, remove the seeds (and the peel if desired) and cut into cubes.
  5. Finely chop the green onion (or red into half rings).
  6. Coarsely chop or tear the basil with your hands.
  7. Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl and season with oil.
  8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix carefully.

Bon appetit!

Text: Natalya Uskova

4.6666666666667 4.67 / 6 votes

Found an error in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

At first glance, there is nothing complicated in its preparation. Tomatoes, cheese, basil, a little vegetable oil - that's all it takes. But this is only at first glance. If you want to get exactly “Caprese” salad and not “Shopska” or “Greek” salad, read our article. The secret of the dish is not only in the ingredients. The sequence of adding ingredients to the Caprese salad is also important. The classic recipe - with photos - describes this whole process in detail. It is important to remember that “caprese” is translated from Italian as “whim”. That’s why in the homeland of salad it is customary to experiment with it. The “three pillars” of the dish - tomatoes, mozzarella and basil - remain unchanged. Everything else is at your discretion. However, it should be remembered that the presence of neither meat nor fish is allowed in Caprese. This salad is dietary and almost vegetarian.

Choosing products

As with all dishes, in Caprese the final result depends on the quality of the ingredients. Therefore, let's pay more attention to what we will use to prepare the salad. First of all, the filling part is the cheese. Its type - mozzarella - is presented in our stores in many forms. The classic Caprese salad recipe involves the use of cheese made from black buffalo milk. They began to be grown in Italy in the sixteenth century. Another famous cheese, mascarpone, is also made from buffalo milk. And if you have the chance, look for Mozzarella di Bufala. If not, choose cheese made from cow's milk, avoiding smoked varieties and giving preference to medium-sized heads. As for tomatoes, the classic recipe uses “ox heart”. But ordinary ones from Kherson will also do. The main thing is that they are ground. It is better to take basil green. Olive oil - first pressed, with a slight bitterness.

Caprese salad: classic recipe

There is another etymology for the name of the dish. The salad comes from the island of Capri, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. This, according to the canons of the Italian feast, is an antipasti, that is, an appetizer that is served before main courses. Consequently, it should not only whet the appetite with its taste, but also please the eye. The classic Caprese salad recipe involves decorating the dish in the colors of the Italian flag. That's why we don't mix the ingredients together for variety, but place white mozzarella and red tomatoes side by side. Since this is not a salad in the strict sense of the word, but an appetizer, it is permissible to thread all three ingredients onto a skewer, like a kebab. But then the mozzarella should be in the form of small balls. Place the skewers on a plate and pour olive oil over them. Or cut tomatoes and mozzarella into equal mugs. Place it slightly overlapping along the edge of a nice flat plate. And in the middle of the dish we place tender crispy basil leaves.

Caprese salad: recipe with pesto sauce

Now let’s give free rein to our creative imagination and follow our culinary whims. This recipe, by the way, is very popular in Italy and has also become a classic. Pesto is not an ingredient, but, like olive oil, a sauce. It is sold in large supermarkets in a wide range. But you can make pesto yourself. To make the Caprese salad sauce, the recipe calls for the following set of ingredients: a bunch of parsley and green basil, three cloves of garlic, a handful of pine nuts, parmesan cheese, grated into fine chips, and olive oil. All this must be ground in a mortar. But if you use a blender, nothing bad will happen. Next, prepare the salad according to the classic recipe. The only difference is that we grease the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves

With balsamic vinegar

The classic Caprese salad recipe, being strict with the set of basic products, nevertheless gives room for imagination regarding the dressing and you don’t have to completely cut the fleshy tomato. Let's make “pockets” in its side, into which we push slices of mozzarella. And at the foot of such a tomato we will place basil leaves. For added spice, you can flavor this appetizer with more than just Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Italian housewives are required to keep various flavored types of oil at home. It's not that difficult to prepare them. Heat the olive oil to 40 degrees, dip some flavorings into it. For example, a sprig of rosemary. You can dress the salad with this olive oil. You can also use balsamic vinegar. For the sauce, you need to mix one teaspoon with 50 grams of cold-pressed olive oil.

With arugula and oregano

First, make the balsamic vinegar dressing as directed in the previous recipe. We sort out the arugula leaves, wash them, dry them with a napkin and pour this sauce over them. Rub the dressing on the plate in which we will serve the Italian Caprese salad. The recipe instructs us to further arrange mugs of tomatoes and mozzarella along the edge of the dish. Place the arugula soaked in the dressing in the middle of the plate. Salt the salad. And then we drip pesto sauce along the row of tomatoes and cheese. Decorate with basil and oregano leaves. It is permissible to use this last spice in dried form. In this case, sprinkle the salad with oregano and salt.

Antipaste with bell pepper

The appetizer can also be served in a form other than a salad. For example, serve it in bell pepper boats. We clean it from stalks and seeds, wash it, and cut it into halves. Pour a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Let it soften for ten minutes. Then heat the fat on the grill, shake off the marinade from the peppers and fry them until the edges are slightly burnt. Next, cut the tomatoes and mozzarella as the recipe for the “Classic Caprese” salad instructs us. Place mugs of tomato and cheese on pepper boats. For stability of the structure, you can use a skewer. Sprinkle the appetizer with grated Parmesan. Garnish with a basil leaf and pour over the marinade (a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar).

Original Caprese

We also include fresh figs in the list of ingredients. You need to take the same amount as tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes, figs and mozzarella cheese into mugs of equal thickness. Line the salad dish with arugula, washed and dried on a napkin. On this green mat we place tomatoes, figs, and mozzarella in a beautiful alternation. We prepare the dressing in advance. Pour five tablespoons of olive oil into a jar with a lid. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to it. Next, pour three teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and a slightly smaller amount of honey. Screw on the lid and shake the jar vigorously until its contents are homogeneous. Pour this dressing over the salad. Top with three Parmesan cheeses and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Caprese with cherry tomatoes

Humanity has bred small tomatoes as if specifically for making this antipasti. And for the same purpose, they began to produce mini-mozzarella - several balls in a package. The same size of cheese and tomatoes allows us to create a Caprese cocktail or buffet salad with cherry tomatoes. The recipe asks us to take eight tomatoes and the same number of mozzarella balls. The dish can be served in two ways. The first is a classic salad. Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them and cut them into halves. Let's leave the cheese balls whole. Remove two sprigs of basil from the stem. Place the leaves beautifully between the tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle the salad with olive oil. Salt and sprinkle with dry ones. The second option is in the form of a snack. Everything is simple here. Remove the mozzarella balls from the brine and place in olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar and dry herbs. Thread tomato and cheese onto a skewer. Place these kebabs on a plate covered with salad. You can brush the skewers with pesto sauce.

With parsley and dill

Cut two fleshy tomatoes and 2 mozzarella balls into equal slices. Chop the onion into rings. Wash the basil, dry it, tear off the leaves. We place all the listed ingredients of the classic “Caprese” beautifully on a plate. Sprinkle with onion rings. Prepare salad dressing. Finely chop half a bunch of dill and parsley. Cut several green onions into pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add half a teaspoon of granulated sugar. Now we place these greens in a mortar (or blender bowl). Pour in one hundred grams of olive oil and a tablespoon of vinegar (preferably balsamic). Grind everything to the consistency of a liquid sauce. Pour over the dressing.

The relatively small island of Capri has given the world a lot of useful things. For example, the famous short trousers, which bear the same name, appeared precisely thanks to the sailors of this island. In addition, the famous caprese salad comes from there, which is offered to gourmets in almost every restaurant in different cities.

Classic recipe

It's easy to remember what caprese looks like and is made. The classic recipe consists of products of three colors according to the color of the Italian flag: white, red, green. Thus, it uses mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, respectively. In the classic version, they take mozzarella from black buffalo milk and tomatoes, which in our region are most often called ground tomatoes. They are meaty and contain a minimal amount of moisture.

The original version uses only tomatoes with mozzarella and basil. The recipe calls for olive oil, pepper and salt as a dressing. However, if you look at the ingredients in most restaurants, they will often use pesto and balsamic vinegar. In many ways they do improve the taste, but there is another reason.

Over time, the dish became international, that is, they began to use not only ingredients from Italy, but also from the country where the salad is made. If you yourself have compared, for example, tomatoes from a market in Italy and a market in Russia, then you understand what we are talking about: Mediterranean products are much tastier. They don't require any sauce, and with the addition of natural and flavorful butter, freshly ground pepper and warm bread, it's enough to taste great.

In other regions, the use of rich pesto and balsamic vinegar is very popular. To prepare pesto sauce you will need:

  • 10 g Pecorino;
  • 40 g Permesan;
  • 100 milliliters of olive oil;
  • 80 fresh basil;
  • two tablespoons of pine nuts;
  • two cloves of garlic.

Garlic, pine nuts and basil are pounded in a mortar until a homogeneous mixture is obtained, then cheeses are added and mixed with butter. It can also be used with modern technologies. To do this, garlic, nuts and basil are crushed in a blender and then mixed with cheeses and butter.

Don't be scared by strange names of cheeses; they are available in many supermarkets. You can also use any hard cheese.

After the sauce is ready, follow these steps:

  • Tomatoes and mozzarella are cut into slices and placed on a plate, also alternating in a circle, slightly overlapping the edges;
  • fresh basil is used to decorate the dish on top;
  • pour pesto sauce and add two strips of balsamic vinegar.

You can also use plain butter with pepper and salt. But ideally, it is better to take cold-pressed and the most natural.

What is a caprese salad? The recipe is classic - tomatoes with mozzarella and pesto sauce, complemented by fresh basil. But there are a lot of options when, using the original ingredients and a little imagination, amazing salad options appear.

In the form of canapés

As you might guess, the peculiarity here is the use of mini size ingredients. For this recipe you will need:

  • Cherry tomatoes;
  • basil leaves;
  • small mozzarella balls.

Mozzarella should be found in small balls, but large balls cut into quarters can also be used. However, you will need cherry tomatoes or very small ones, for example, fingers.

To hold the components together, toothpicks are used. The canapés are connected in the following sequence (from bottom to top):

  • half a cherry tomato;
  • the bottom of a basil leaf;
  • a ball (or half) of cheese;
  • the top of a basil leaf.

Optionally, the second half of the tomato can be used on top; the leaf should be placed in the shape of a sail to make the dish look more attractive.

The salad should be sprinkled with a small amount of oil. A small amount of pesto can also be used and added to the bottom.

Caprese with nut pesto

This is everyone's favorite caprese salad, but in a unique interpretation with nut pesto. Required ingredients:

For the sauce, puree the nuts, garlic, butter and basil with a pinch of salt in a blender or food processor. Once you have a smooth mixture, mix in the grated Parmesan.

Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into thin slices and place them, alternating, in a wide dish. Top with walnut sauce, garnish with basil and serve.

Hot salad

Required ingredients:

Tomatoes are cut into circles 1 cm thick. Mozzarella is cut into circles and slightly dried. Finely chop the olives.

Basil leaves are cut, some are used for decoration. Place columns of lettuce on a baking sheet, alternating tomatoes, salt, pepper, mozzarella, olives, and basil. You need to make unique towers from three pieces of tomatoes and three pieces of mozzarella. Pour oil and bake for 5 minutes at 180 degrees.

The salad placed in plates is poured with balsamic vinegar and decorated with basil leaves.

Required ingredients:

The tomatoes are washed, dried a little, then chopped and placed in a suitable dish. The tofu is soaked in water for ten minutes, then dried and cut into slices, which are placed between the tomatoes.

In a food processor, combine the basil with olive oil and lemon juice. Tomatoes and tofu are seasoned with sauce. The salad is decorated with olives and served.

With cherry tomatoes

Required ingredients:

Drain the mozzarella, cut the cheese into cubes and place in a bowl. Add finely chopped tomatoes, chopped basil leaves and olives.

Season with salt and olive oil, stir thoroughly and serve immediately.

There are original tips on how to make caprese style pizza. To do this, you need to take a ready-made mold or prepare the dough yourself. The filling uses mozzarella, which melts perfectly, and chopped tomatoes; the sauce is made from butter and chopped basil with pepper and salt.

After the dish has baked a little in the oven, you should add a little basil on top, and pesto can be used to finish, but only after the dish is completely baked. This original option will delight many lovers of cooking and delicious food.

Attention, TODAY only!