The thing that sets this Caprese Salad apart from others? Toss with a simple garlic-herb vinaigrette first, then finish with a drizzle of balsamic for extra flavour and the signature look. Looks great, tastes even better!
Caprese Salad is terrific served as a side for sharing, as a light meal with crusty bread or piled onto toast with smashed avocado. Fresh and delightful!
Everybody loves the idea of a Caprese Salad, but all too often it’s either rather bland because it’s just dressed with olive oil, or it looks like a terrible mess because it’s tossed with balsamic which stains the pearly baby mozzarella balls brown. 😩
So I make my Caprese Salad with a vinaigrette for the main dressing then drizzle it with a balsamic glaze for an extra burst burst of flavour just before serving.
Dressing for Caprese Salad
The Dressing that everybody thinks of as Caprese Salad Dressing is a balsamic glaze, also known as balsamic reduction. It has an intense sweet-tangy flavour so you do not need very much of it – just a drizzle – otherwise it will overwhelm the salad.
So we need second Dressing for Caprese Salad to provide more flavour that we can toss through the whole salad before drizzling with the balsamic glaze. Many recipes just use plain olive oil, but I prefer to use a simple garlic-herb vinaigrette because it has more flavour, I like the look of the little specks and also, it’s healthier (less oil).
While balsamic reduction is quite simple to make (see recipe here), I’ve used store bought here. It’s not that expensive, and it has a shelf life of years and years!
What cheese? FRESH Mozzarella / Bocconcini
Caprese Salad is made with fresh mozzarella cheese. This is different to the mozzarella cheese you grate and sprinkle onto things to bake and melt.
Fresh mozzarella is soft, and unlike most cheeses, it is not salty. It has a flavour similar to ricotta – though the texture is different.
In this particular recipe, I have used baby mozzarella, also known as cherry mozzarella or bocconcini. They are just small fresh mozzarella balls. I like using small ones because they are similar in size to the cherry tomatoes.
Is fresh mozzarella good for you?
Fresh mozzarella (including bocconcini) is lower in calories and fat than most cheeses. 100g / 3.5 oz fresh mozzarella has 280 calories, 17g fat (11g saturated) and 16g sodium compared to cheddar cheese 402 calories, 33g fat, and 621g sodium.
However, as with all cheeses, mozzarella cheese is high in saturated fat which is not good for cardiovascular health. So enjoy consume in moderation!
While most people just keep the bocconcini balls whole, I prefer to halve them so they are the same size as the halved cherry tomatoes. Better balance of tomato and mozzarella in each bite!
This also makes the bocconcini go further – it’s a bit pricey, starting at about $5 for a 220g / 7.5oz tub, going up to $10.
For a Caprese Salad served like this, I like to use a ratio of about 1:2 bocconcini to cherry tomatoes, by weight. I find this to be the best balance of juicy tomatoes to creamy mozzarella. Feel free to adjust to your taste!
How to serve Caprese Salad
I’ve made this Caprese Salad as a side dish for sharing, rather than a single plate starter as it is often served at restaurants.
But think beyond a side salad! I enjoying having Caprese Salad as light no-cook meals in the hotter months. The bocconcini gives it oomph, especially if you have a crusty roll on the side, so it’s quite satisfying as a meal.
But my favourite way to serve this Caprese Salad is as bruschetta on toast. Smush up some avocado on toasted sourdough, then pile Caprese Salad on top. Breakfast, lunch or dinner.
It’s SO GOOD! – Nagi x
Make a meal of it!
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Summer Italian BBQ: Grill this Italian Marinated Chicken, serve with Caprese Salad and crusty bread
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Quick Fish Dinner: Crispy Pan Fried Fish with this Caprese Salad and a side of Lemon Potato Salad
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Prawns! (Shrimp): Garlic Prawns with this Caprese Salad and a Macaroni Salad with a healthier Yogurt Dressing
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Chicken Dinner: Homemade Lemon Pepper Chicken with this Caprese Salad
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Steak! Grill these Marinated Steaks and serve this on the side with Crispy Smashed Potatoes. YUM, what a combo!
Health benefits of tomatoes
Tomato is great for you and low in calories – so eat lots guilt free! They are a good source of Vitamin A (benefits eyes, heart and hair) and Vitamin C (general well being!), as well as being an unexpected good source of calcium (healthy bones!). It’s also known as a preventative for certain types of cancer and maintaining kidney health.
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Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 220 g/7oz bocconcini / baby or cherry mozzarella , halved (Note 1)
- 500 g / 1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes , halved
- 1/2 cup basil leaves , torn or roughly chopped
- Balsamic glaze / reduction , for drizzling (Note 2)
Caprese Salad Dressing:
- 1 small garlic clove , minced
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (or other non spicy mustard)
- 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (Note 3)
- 1/4 tsp each dried oregano , parsley, thyme (or rosemary)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake very well. Adjust to taste.
- Place tomatoes, bocconcini and most of the basil in a bowl. Drizzle over dressing, toss gently.
- Transfer to shallow serving bowl. Just before serving, drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with remaining basil.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- I like to use a ratio of 1:2 bocconcini to cherry tomatoes. Feel free to use more bocconcini.
- Best served freshly made.
- To prepare ahead, chop tomato and bocconcini, make Dressing. Prepare basil leaves but do not tear - turns black. Then assemble just before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Outside a homewares store next to a table laden with breakables. Like a bull in a china store!
Such a great recipe! Made this up for a family reunion. Salad disappeared in no time!
Made this tonight and my tastebuds were doing backflips and cartwheels. This was very delicious! Will definitely make it again
Have to give this one 5 stars, I’ve been making caprese salads for many years and this is by far my fav! Just enough garlic and sweetness from the balsamic glaze. Simple and perfect.
So simple and so good on a hot day with almost anything. I had it with poached chicken. I bought a fig and balsamic glaze by accident and it was excellent (I’m usually no a fan of figs!)
I made this last night (along with the beef ragu) and it was SO good! The dressing makes all the difference. Delicious! Thanks Nagi
We enjoyed this salad tonight and it was next level, thank you so much!
Delicious! I will definitely make this again. I have to admit that I used Balsamic vinegar rather than white since I didn’t have any. It was very tasty that way although not as pretty as it would have been with white vinegar. So next time I will make sure I have the white vinegar on hand! I used the balsamic glaze at the end but actually liked it better without. I think the glaze that I purchased was just a little too sweet for my taste.
This is the gold standard for Caprese Salads! You are so right…the herb dressing is what sets this recipe so far above many bland recipes. I will not make any others! Thank you! I really like your style and appreciation for good tasting, sensible recipes!
I’ve made this salad over and over. It is now my go-to for caprese as it set the standard for me. So. Good.
Another Christmas table hit! Didn’t use the initial dressing, just the balsamic glaze and it was amazing. So glad there were leftovers to have for dinner!
Made this before as a salad with a main husband loved it, as always he thinks it won’t work until he try’s it and then asks for more and more! Going to make it tonight for myself on some toasted bread as a bruschetta my favourite 😋
I’m your recipes true lover. I’m going to try very single one. I tried this salad recipe with my leftover steaks. Very tasty and never go wrong.
Wahoo, that’s great Mabel!
What are the measurements for the glaze?
Hi Cyndie – you are just using a drizzle here for taste 🙂
I have a lot of garden tomatoes & some cherry. Would this work with cut tomatoes too?
Yes definitely Jackie!
Making this in the weekend Nagi to accompany your pulled beef ragu, can’t wait to eat them both! Just a question, I have some large-ish green chillies to use up, do you think they would work in the dressing (cut very fine)? Thanks so much, love your recipes!
Hi Deb, you could definitely do that if you want to add some spice!
How far in advance can you make this?
Thanks!
Lynn
Hi Lynn, I usually make this a few hours in advance 🙂
Has anyone tried apple cider vinegar as substitute to the white wine vinegar?
Hi Winnie, that would work fine – N x
I made this as a side to your greek leg o lamb for my girlfriends first stay at my place she absolutely loved it much and many thanks Nagi
Could eat this everyday! Granddaughters favourite ( half Italian so genetically she has to love it)
😂 I love this!
I think I ruined this slightly by pre-halving the tomatoes in advance as they became pretty watery (even though I drained them before adding the bocconcini. But the flavour of the dressing was good. I’ll try it again but won’t chop the toms until I’m assembling the salad. The salad looked lovely on the table and gave a nice splash of colour to the other food. Thanks Nagi x
You’re so welcome Suzie! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi, just wondering about the comment above regarding halving tomatoes in advance. Do you advise waiting until just prior to serving to cut the tomatoes? Thanks
Made magic broccoli! It is indeed magical.
Have a recipe I’d like to share. So good but a nightmare to assemble. Could use your expertise. Will try to send attachment. Best Regards Deb
Hi Deb, I’m intrigued! Shoot me an email ☺️