Almost all restaurants offer some type of Caprese Salad. It’s an easy-to-prepare, simple dish, yet an authentic Italian salad that lets you enjoy the taste of summer.
The original Italian name is “insalata caprese”, which literally means salad from the island of Capri.
Variations Of The Caprese Salad
There are countless variations of this basic recipe.
It is usually sprinkled with balsamic vinegar, or you can get an even better flavor if you use a thick syrupy balsamic vinegar reduction. That’s what I used in my version, you can see how dark, chocolaty it looks.
You can add some ground black pepper or sprinkle with dried basil leaves. Once I even tasted this salad with arugula, that also was very delicious.
You can also vary the Caprese salad by changing the way you serve it. If you prepare insalata caprese, the only unwritten rule is to use the same-sized tomato and mozzarella slices. It’s a common option to use small mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes. Take small basil leaves or halve them lengthwise and make some on-bite version of caprese by using a toothpick. This way you can easily create a perfect cocktail party dish, it even features the colors of the Italian flag. There’s another traditional way to prepare the ingredients; by cutting the tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/3 inch cubes, and serve it on a plate as a regular salad.
The Origins Of Caprese Salad
According to the article of Dining Chicago , the exact origins of Caprese salad can’t be defined.
What is certain is that its popularity soared after it was served to the gourmand King Farouk of Egypt in the 1950’s on the island of Capri, in the Grand Hotel Quisisana.
Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 4-6 oz fresh mozzarella sliced into thick 1/4-inch slices
- 1 medium tomato
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Take one fresh mozzarella ball and a same sized tasty ripe tomato. Cut them into ¼ inch slices.Place your tomato stem-side down on a cutting board and slice it vertically. Remove the stem from the middle slices.
- Arrange tomato and mozz slices alternating on a plate, putting fresh basil leaves between them.
- Flavor with salt and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar over it.
