With just 5 simple ingredients, this classic Caprese salad recipe is as authentic–and delicious–as it gets!
“Caprese” (pronounced “kah-PRAY-zay”) literally translates to “from Capri.” The Caprese Salad was named for the small island just off the coast of southern Italy near Naples, where the juicy summer tomatoes, fragrant basil, and milky mozzarella need little more than a drizzle of good olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt.
In a perfect world, we would all get to enjoy an Insalata Caprese on a balcony in Capri overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, perhaps sipping a Limoncello Spritz between bites. Luckily, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy a simple yet exquisite Caprese Salad (or its variations, like Caprese Chicken). Using just a few easy-to-source ingredients, you can make an authentic Italian Caprese Salad at home in less than 30 minutes!
The success of this easy salad recipe is in the quality of the ingredients, so to do justice, use the best ingredients you can find. Spring for perfectly ripe summer tomatoes, good Italian extra virgin olive oil, and the freshest mozzarella available. The rest is easy!
Table of Contents
What is in Caprese Salad?
Caprese salad is a simple arrangement of fresh tomato and mozzarella sprinkled with fresh basil, olive oil, and sea salt. It’s all about color and fresh, in-season ingredients. The best time to make it is in high summer when tomatoes are at their ripest and most flavorful. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ripe tomatoes: Caprese salads are traditionally made with cuore di bue (“bull’s heart”), which are heavy and flavorful. To match, go for a good heirloom, Beefsteak, Red Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, or other juicy, rich tomatoes.
- Mozzarella cheese: Fresh cow’s milk mozzarella, known as fior di latte in Italian, is traditional. Look for mozzarella packed in brine rather than vacuum-sealed balls, which are dry and sometimes rubbery.
- Fresh basil: Young, small leaves are best, as they are tender and have a sweet perfume and flavor. Be sure to store your basil correctly so it stays bright and fragrant.
- Olive oil: Invest in a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, like our Italian Nocellara.
- Sea salt: Either fine or flaky sea salt will do. Sometimes I use a little of both—fine salt for the tomatoes, and a sprinkle of flaky salt as a garnish to add texture.
- Black pepper (optional): This is optional but pretty common in southern Italy. Grind just a little bit right on top of the salad at serving time so the spicy aroma shines through.
How to Make Caprese Salad
It’s hard to call this a Caprese salad recipe when you’re basically arranging excellent ingredients on a plate. But with so few ingredients, the small details make a big difference. Follow these steps to get it just right! To serve 4-6 people:
- Drain and slice the cheese. Set 2 (8 ounce) balls of mozzarella on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels for about 15 minutes, then slice to 1/4-inch thick. They don’t have to be completely dry—you want that soft, milky texture without a puddle of brine on your serving plate.
- Slice the tomatoes. Use a serrated knife to first cut off the stem of 2-3 medium to large ripe tomatoes. Slice crosswise to about 3/8-inch thick. You want them slightly thicker than the mozzarella. Lay on a cutting board and sprinkle with salt.
- Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella a serving platter. Alternate between the two, overlapping. For an oval or rectangular plate, line the slices up along the center of the plate. For a round plate, arrange the slices in a circle and place a slice of tomato in the center, topped with a slice of mozzarella.
- Add the basil. Tuck small whole basil leaves between the slices, making sure most of the leaves are visible to add bright flashes of green.
- Finish, season, and serve. Drizzle your best extra-virgin olive oil over the salad. Add enough oil so the flavor is evident, about 3 to 4 tablespoons. Optionally, grind just a touch of black pepper over top and let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes—no longer—to allow the juices to mingle. If you’d like, sprinkle just a pinch of flaky salt on top of the salad as a final touch right before you set it on the table. Serve right away.
Caprese Salad Recipe Tips
Classic Caprese Salad is easy to make, but there are a few ways to finesse the best flavor. Here are my tips to make the best Caprese salad:
- Make this caprese recipe shortly before serving. Caprese salad is not a make-ahead dish. Prepping ahead and refrigerating will result in mealy tomatoes and a puddle of tomato juice and mozzarella milk at the bottom of your serving plate. Thankfully, it comes together in a matter of minutes!
- All the ingredients for Caprese salad should be at room temperature. Ideally, remove the mozzarella from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to serve the salad to allow it to come to room temperature. (Tomatoes should never be refrigerated, as this can ruin their texture and dull their flavor.)
Caprese Salad Recipe Variations
The popularity of Caprese salad has spawned many variations, including versions drizzled with balsamic glaze or with pesto spooned on top–often to the locals’ dismay! I live half of each year in Italy, and traditional Italian Caprese is all about simplicity, letting a few perfect ingredients shine. That said, I like to play with variations that stay true to the heart of Italian Caprese:
- Use a variety of tomatoes: Green, yellow, red, and purple to add color, or halve cherry tomatoes and arrange them here and there on the plate for interest.
- Swap with buffalo mozzarella: Southern Italy is home to water buffalo farms, where the world’s best buffalo mozzarella is produced. This tangy, spongy cousin of cow’s milk mozzarella is a great substitute for fior di latte. Just be sure to drain it well before slicing.
- Use burrata, a luxurious combination of mozzarella and cream. Place the whole burrata in the center of the plate and arrange the tomato slices and basil around it. Tuck in a small spoon in the burrata for scooping. Or, scoop out the creamy center and dollop it on top of the tomato slices. It’s not traditional, but it is delicious.
- Add summer fruit: Ripe summer fruit, especially stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, are perfectly at home in a Caprese salad. Slice the fruit into thin wedges and alternate it with slices of tomato and mozzarella. Or, arrange the wedges in a pretty spiral in the center of the plate.
What to Serve with Caprese Salad
On hot summer nights, I sometimes want nothing more than a Caprese salad and some good crusty bread or focaccia on the side. But this Caprese salad recipe also makes a great appetizer, side dish, or light entrée.
If you’re serving as a side or appetizer, shrimp, like Easy Shrimp Scampi or Easy Mediterranean Shrimp Kebobs would match the Caprese’s light and fresh summer feeling. Or, go for a classic Italian pasta, like Linguine alle Vongole or Cacio e Pepe for a heartier meal.
More Caprese Salad Recipes
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Chicken Caprese Salad
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Easy Chicken Caprese Recipe
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Browse all Mediterranean Recipes.
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Make Authentic Caprese with Real Italian EVOO
Extra Virgin Olive Oil from hand-picked, cold-extracted Nocellara olives.
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) balls whole milk mozzarella in brine
- 2 pounds ripe salad or heirloom tomatoes (such as Beefsteak, Big Boy, or Purple Cherokee)
- Fine sea salt
- 1 handful basil leaves (smaller, more tender leaves preferred)
- 3 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Drain the mozzarella: Remove the balls of mozzarella from the brine and let it drain on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels for 15 minutes. Lightly pat the mozzarella and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Slice the tomatoes: Using a serrated knife, slice the stem end off the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into slices about 3/8-inch thick, slightly thicker than the mozzarella. You’ll need 12 slices, not including the ends (discard the ends or eat them as a snack!). Lay the slices out on the cutting board and sprinkle with fine sea salt.
- Layer the salad: Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella on a serving plate so that they are overlapping slightly. Tuck in the basil leaves between the slices, and sprinkle or arrange a few more on top.
- Season: Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and grind a little black pepper on top. Let the salad rest briefly—no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Right before serving, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- If you have time, allow the mozzarella to sit at room temperature for one hour before serving. The delicate mozzarella’s flavor shines brighter at room temperature.
- Serve right away! Caprese salad is not a make-ahead salad. If you assemble it ahead of time and refrigerate it, you’ll compromise the texture of the cheese and tomatoes, and you’ll end up with a giant puddle of tomato juice and mozzarella milk at the bottom of your serving plate.
- Quick tip: Look for tomatoes that are about the same size as the mozzarella balls. This will make the salad more visually appealing.
Nutrition
*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
An option to print the recipe by itself would be helpful. Otherwise you have to print out 32 pages.
Hello! The recipes on our site are set up to be printable. If you look underneath the recipe’s title at the top of the page, you’ll see a little icon that says “Print.” Once you hit that, a printable version will appear that’s usually only 1-2 pages. Hope that helps!
I made this salad for the first time ever. Had some trouble cutting the mozzarella uniformly but I’ll do better next time. We had leftovers which I refrigerated but I’m not sure it will taste the same later or the next day. Probably not but that’s ok.
Very tasty anyway. Yum.
Ps: I’ve had this in Italy many times.
Very tasty, & truly Italian. Ŵe’re an Italian family, & make Caprese themed dishes often. The ingredients are spot on in this salad, & we make it often. The Caprese theme also works very well in many other dishes, such as Pizza, & very many Casseroles. Minimal ingredients, but delicious & authentic.
We agree, 100%! Thanks, Angela!