There's nothing quite like a Perfect Caprese Salad in the height of tomato season. Perfectly ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic glaze. If you love caprese as much as I do, my Sun Gold Tomato Caprese with Burrata is the burrata version, my Peach Tomato Caprese adds summer peaches, and a drizzle of my Basil Vinaigrette takes any of them to the next level.
Perfect Caprese Salad at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 5 minutes (no cooking required)
- 👪 Servings: 6
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Italian
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Sweet ripe tomatoes and milky fresh mozzarella with peppery basil, grassy olive oil, flaky salt, and a tangy-sweet balsamic glaze
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian and naturally gluten-free; contains dairy (mozzarella)
- 📦 Storage Notes: Best assembled and eaten immediately; sliced tomatoes and mozzarella can be prepped a few hours ahead and stored separately, then layered and dressed right before serving; leftovers get watery and are not worth saving
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: Five minutes, six ingredients, zero cooking. Peak-season tomatoes and creamy mozzarella do all the work while you take the credit. It's the dish I make on repeat from June through September, and it belongs next to literally everything coming off your grill.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Caprese Salad is just actual perfection. Perfectly ripe sliced juicy tomatoes, fresh slices of buffalo mozzarella and basil. That's it in it's simplest form and I could live off of these during the summer. You know I love caprese in many forms.... Sun Gold Caprese, Caprese Orzo, Peach Tomato Caprese, Pesto Caprese Pizza... but this is the traditional method and it's one that we all need in our back pockets.
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Ingredients
- Ripe Tomatoes – tomatoes should smell like TOMATOES. So look for some that are colorful, not too soft and fragrant.
- Fresh Mozzarella – get the kind that's stored in the water! It's fresh and the most tender and delicious.
- Basil – you can use a drizzle of basil vinaigrette if you prefer!
- Balsamic Glaze – optional but encouraged!
- Olive Oil – use one that is super delish and great for drizzling.
- Salt & Pepper – I love a flaky maldon here and some freshly cracked black pepper
*For full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below
Substitutions & Swaps
🍅 Tomatoes
- Heirloom tomatoes - My favorite; mixed colors and shapes make the platter gorgeous and the flavor is unbeatable
- Beefsteak or Brandywine - Big, juicy, meaty slices that hold their shape under the mozzarella
- Cherry or Sungold tomatoes - The off-season move; halve them and pile over torn mozzarella, they stay sweeter year-round than sad winter slicers
🧀 Cheese
- Burrata - The upgrade; tear it open over the tomatoes and let the creamy center be the dressing
- Buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) - Tangier and creamier than cow's milk; the most traditional choice
- Bocconcini or ciliegine - Little mozzarella balls, perfect when you're using cherry tomatoes
- Skip low-moisture mozzarella - The shrink-wrapped block is for pizza, not caprese; it's rubbery and salty in the wrong way here
🌿 Herbs
- Whole basil leaves (called for) - Tuck them between every layer, not just on top
- Basil vinaigrette - A drizzle takes the whole platter up a level; the herb flavor gets into every bite
- A handful of arugula - Adds a peppery bite when you want it to eat more like a composed salad
🫒 Drizzle & Finish
- Balsamic glaze (called for) - Clings to the layers instead of pooling; straight balsamic vinegar runs everywhere
- Aged balsamic - If you have a thick, syrupy aged bottle, use it neat and skip the glaze
- Just olive oil and flaky salt - The purist version; with truly great tomatoes you don't need anything else
- Sliced peaches - Tuck a few between the tomato layers in late summer; sweet and completely gorgeous
How to Make Caprese Salad
- Slice a few ripe tomatoes into ¼ inch slices.
- Do the same size slice for a few balls of fresh mozzarella.
- Start by layering slices of tomatoes on a serving platter. Tuck slices of cheese between each tomato so both are visible then tuck whole basil leaves between the cheese and tomatoes. Arrange the slices so you can see every layer.
- Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle all over with extra virgin olive oil and drizzle with 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze or add it to taste.
🍅🧀🌿 Tips & Tricks for the Best Caprese Salad
Six ingredients means every one of them has to pull its weight
- Only make this in tomato season. Caprese is a summer dish, full stop. A January tomato has nothing to offer here, and there's no dressing that can fix it.
- Serve everything at room temperature. Cold mutes tomatoes completely. Pull the tomatoes off the counter (never the fridge) and let the mozzarella sit out 20 minutes.
- Salt the tomato slices 5 minutes before assembling. A little Maldon up front pulls the juices forward and concentrates the flavor. Season again lightly at the end.
- Pat the mozzarella dry. Fresh mozzarella weeps. A quick press with a paper towel keeps the platter from becoming a milky puddle.
- Slice tomatoes and cheese the same thickness. A quarter inch for both means every bite has the right ratio. Uneven slices eat like two separate snacks.
- Use mixed-color heirlooms for a showstopper. Reds, yellows, greens, and purples on one platter make this the prettiest thing on the table.
- Tuck whole basil leaves between the layers. Basil only on top is decoration; basil in every layer is flavor. Tear, don't chop, so the leaves stay green.
- Break out the good olive oil. This is a finishing-oil moment. The peppery bottle you save for special occasions, not the everyday sauté oil.
- Use balsamic glaze, not straight vinegar. Glaze clings and sweetens; vinegar floods the plate and makes everything soggy. If you only have vinegar, reduce it by half in a small pan first.
- Add peaches in late summer. Slices of ripe peach between the tomato layers are ridiculous in the best way.
- Finish with a drizzle of basil vinaigrette when you're feeling fancy. It doubles down on the basil and makes the whole platter taste intentional.
FAQs
What is caprese salad?
Caprese salad (insalata caprese) is a classic Italian salad from the island of Capri: ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella layered with basil, olive oil, flaky salt, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. It's built to show off peak-season tomatoes, so summer is its moment.
What does caprese mean in English?
Caprese literally means 'of Capri,' the island in Italy's Bay of Naples where the salad comes from. Insalata caprese translates to 'salad of Capri.'
What are the best tomatoes for caprese salad?
Truly ripe, in-season tomatoes; mixed-color heirlooms are my favorite for flavor and looks, and beefsteaks work beautifully too. Off-season, halved cherry tomatoes beat sad winter slicers every time.
Can you make caprese salad ahead of time?
Not fully assembled; the tomatoes weep and the platter turns into a puddle. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella up to a few hours ahead and store them separately, then layer, season, and drizzle right before serving.
What should I serve with caprese salad?
Almost any summer main: ribs, grilled steak or chicken, salmon, or a big bowl of pasta. It's the side that makes the whole spread feel like an Italian summer.
More Caprese Salad Inspired Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes (3-4 medium) sliced ¼" thick
- 12-16 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced ¼" thick
- 1 bunch fresh basil ⅓ cup basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
- Maldon salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Start by layering slices of tomatoes on a serving platter. Tuck slices of cheese between each tomato so both are visible then tuck whole basil leaves between the cheese and tomatoes. Arrange the slices so you can see every layer.
- Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle all over with extra virgin olive oil and drizzle with 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze or add it to taste.
Simple Recipe!
Excellent Taste!
Simple, fresh, delicious!
I’m going to a dinner party with the theme being Italian foods. I’m planning on making a Caprese Salad. How do you make the balsamic glaze?
Thank you in advance,
Robin
I buy it at my italian grocery store! right by the traditional balsamic vinegars
Why does it have grill marks on it?
That' drizzled balsamic - not grill marks 🙂