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Salads · Italian

Caprese Salad

Ripe tomatoes, soft mozzarella and basil, dressed with nothing more than good olive oil.

Hands-on
10 min
Total
10 min
Makes
6 servings (6-8 as a side)
Serves
6

About 10 minutes of slicing and arranging; no cooking.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • summer
  • no-cook
  • quick
  • vegetarian

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Caprese Salad
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: sharp serrated or chef's knife · cutting board · large platter

Contains: milk

Method

  1. Slice

    Slice the 4 tomatoes and the 450 g (1 lb) mozzarella into rounds about 6 mm (1/4 in) thick.

  2. Arrange

    On a large platter, lay the slices in overlapping rows, alternating tomato, mozzarella and a basil leaf, using 10 to 15 basil leaves in all.

  3. Dress and season

    Drizzle with 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

    Otto tried this firstOtto serves the platter straight from the fridge. Caprese tastes best at room temperature, so make it shortly before serving.

  4. Serve

    Serve at room temperature, soon after making it.

Swaps

  • Instead of fresh mozzarella: a fresh mozzarella log, thinly sliced
  • Instead of 4 medium tomatoes: 6 small tomatoes

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Don't leave it out for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Refrigerate leftovers.

If something goes wrong

  • Bland salad Why: Pale, out-of-season tomatoes, or not enough salt.
    Use the ripest tomatoes you can find and season generously just before serving.

Good to know

  • With so few ingredients, quality is everything: the ripest tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a good olive oil.

Safety

  • Choose mozzarella made from pasteurized milk, especially if you're pregnant, 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.
  • Wash the tomatoes and basil, and use a clean board (not one used for raw meat).
  • Sharp knives: kids can arrange the slices while an adult does the cutting.