Caprese Salad
To make caprese salad, slice ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, arrange them with whole basil leaves, and finish with good olive oil, flaky salt, and pepper. That's it — there are only a few ingredients, so each one has to be excellent: ripe in-season tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fragrant basil, and good olive oil. Serve it at room temperature, and salt the tomatoes just before serving so they stay firm.
Caprese salad is proof that when the tomatoes are perfect, the best thing you can do is get out of their way. Ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and salt — five things, three colours of the Italian flag, and one of the great pleasures of late summer. It takes five minutes and shows off a tomato harvest better than anything.
Quality over everything
There’s nowhere to hide in a caprese, so every ingredient has to be excellent: the ripest in-season tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fragrant basil, a good extra-virgin olive oil, and flaky salt. This is a peak-August dish — made with pale winter tomatoes it’s just sad. Made with garden tomatoes, it’s sublime.
Room temperature, salted last
Serve it at room temperature — cold flattens the flavour and aroma of both tomato and cheese. And salt the tomatoes just before serving so they stay firm and don’t weep into a puddle.
Oil and salt, maybe balsamic
Classic caprese is dressed with only olive oil and flaky salt to let the tomatoes sing. A drizzle of balsamic glaze is a popular, sweeter option — try it plain first, then decide.
Make it yours
- Balsamic: a good aged one or a glaze, if you like it.
- Stacked or platter: overlap slices, or build little stacks.
- Add-ons: a few olives, or a scatter of toasted pine nuts.
- Bruschetta version: chop it all and pile on grilled bread.
Drizzle, season, and serve right away. It’s the least you can do to a great tomato and, somehow, the very best — the definition of summer eating.
At a glance
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off
Instructions
- Bring the tomatoes and mozzarella to room temperature.
- Slice both and arrange, overlapping, with basil leaves tucked between.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil.
- Season with flaky salt and black pepper just before serving.
- Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze if you like. Serve at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a great caprese?
With so few ingredients, quality is everything. Use the ripest, most flavourful tomatoes you can find — this is a late-summer dish, not a winter one. Fresh mozzarella (fior di latte or bocconcini), fragrant fresh basil, a good extra-virgin olive oil, and flaky salt make all the difference. There's nowhere to hide, which is exactly why it's so good in peak season and disappointing out of it.
Should I add balsamic vinegar?
It's a matter of taste. Purists dress caprese with only olive oil and salt to let the tomatoes shine. Many people love a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a thick balsamic glaze, which adds sweetness and tang. Both are valid — try it the classic way first, then add balsamic if you like. If you do, a good aged balsamic or a reduction is nicer than a splash of sharp supermarket vinegar.
Serve it cold or at room temperature?
Room temperature, always. Cold dulls the flavour and aroma of both the tomatoes and the mozzarella, so take them out of the fridge ahead of time. Slice and assemble close to serving, and salt the tomatoes at the last minute so they don't weep and go soft. A room-temperature caprese is fragrant and juicy in a way a cold one never is.