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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Caprese Salad

    May 31, 2019 By Sam 12 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    Caprese Salad

    A simple Caprese Salad, broken into bite-sized pieces, perfect for an evening in or for bringing to a party or potluck! 

    I love serving this Caprese Salad alongside Italian dishes like Baked Ziti or Stuffed Shells, but during the summertime it’s a great stand-alone meal, too! 

    Caprese salad drizzled with balsamic reduction

    The Easiest Caprese Salad Recipe

    It’s almost that time of year. The time when those of you who have planted gardens can begin to really anticipate reaping the fruits of your labor.

    I’m pretty sad that I won’t be among you this year. Between moving and just life in general we (meaning mostly Zach, he’s the gardener) just didn’t have time to plant a garden this year. All of the fresh summer produce we’ll need for our bruschetta, corn salad, and Caprese Salads are going to have to come to us courtesy of family members, farmer’s markets, or roadside produce stands.

    Whether or not you have a garden in your own backyard, you’re going want to take whatever steps necessary to procure yourself some fresh cherry tomatoes and basil to make yourself this Caprese Salad.

    Two images: Balsamic glaze in saucepan (left), caprese salad in bowl (right)

    Balsamic Reduction

    Caprese salad is simple. It’s composed of four main ingredients: fresh tomato, mozzarella, basil, and a balsamic glaze. It’s that glaze (or balsamic reduction) that you drizzle overtop that really sets this salad apart from others.

    You don’t want to use just straight balsamic vinegar; that would be too thin and it doesn’t pack the same potent punch that a reduction does. Instead, you’ll need to cook your balsamic vinegar on the stovetop (I like to add a bit of honey to mine for some depth of flavor) until it’s reduced to one third of its original volume.

    Heads-up! Cooking vinegar stinks. Literally. Your house is going to smell like cooked vinegar, so open a window if you can. If you plan on serving this Caprese Salad to guests in your house, I strongly recommend you make the glaze the day before. This will give the odor a chance to dissipate. Since it takes several hours for the glaze to thicken after it’s been cooked, this isn’t a bad recommendation anyway, whether or not you’re expecting company.

    What Kind of Mozzarella to Use for Caprese Salad

    If you can get your hands on it, I recommend using mozzarella “pearls” (I used these in my video). These are small, bite-sized balls of mozzarella that are usually available in your grocery store’s specialty cheese section. Drain them and pat them dry and toss them into your salad. Easy-peasy.

    If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, you should be able to find larger balls of mozzarella, ones that are probably about the same size as cherry tomatoes. These are a bit big and what I love most about this Caprese Salad is that everything in it is bite-sized (no knife necessary!), so in keeping in line with this, I recommend cutting the mozzarella balls into thirds. That’s what I did with the mozzarella in the photos you see here.

    Caprese Salad in bowl

    How do You pronounce “Caprese”

    I’m throwing this tip in here for those of you who have been reading this as “kuh-prees” all along. Been there, and been embarrassed by it when the waitress at the restaurant asked me if I meant “kuh-prey-sey”.

    “kuh-prey-sey” is the correct pronunciation (though some countries do pronounce it “kah-pray-zee”). Now did everyone know that and no one ever told me?

    Enjoy!

    Other Recipes You Might Like:

    • Taco Salad
    • Macaroni Salad
    • Broccoli Salad
    • Potato Salad

    Be sure to check out my Caprese Salad video at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

    Caprese salad in bowl

    Caprese Salad

    A simple caprese salad broken into bite-sized pieces, perfect for an evening in or for bringing to a party or potluck! 
    Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO just below the recipe!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 cups
    Calories: 316kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Balsamic Glaze¹

    • 1 cup (235 ml) balsamic vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons honey

    Caprese Salad

    • 1 lb (455 g) mozzarella pearls² well-drained and gently patted dry
    • 2 pints (570 g) grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
    • ⅓ cup basil ribbons³ see note
    • finely ground sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Balsamic Glaze

    • Combine balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat.
      1 cup (235 ml) balsamic vinegar, 2 Tablespoons honey
    • Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook (stirring occasionally) until the mixture is reduced in volume to ⅓ cup (⅓ of its original volume).
    • Allow to cool completely before drizzling over salad. Glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.

    To Assemble Salad

    • I recommend assembling this salad within 30-60 minutes of serving. To assemble: Combine mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil ribbons in a bowl and use a spatula to gently toss until combined. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, to taste and stir again. Place in a serving dish.
      1 lb (455 g) mozzarella pearls², 2 pints (570 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, ⅓ cup basil ribbons³, finely ground sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
    • Once ready to serve, drizzle with completely cooled balsamic glaze. If desired, you may toss the salad, but it looks much prettier if left untossed.

    Notes

    ¹The balsamic glaze will need to cool completely before it's properly thickened so that you can drizzle it over your salad. It will take a minimum of one hour to cool completely. Cooking the vinegar is also going to really create quite a smell in your house, I recommend preparing the glaze a day or so in advance of serving this salad (and opening a window!) so your guests won't have to smell the balsamic vinegar cooking.
    ²If you can’t find the small mozzarella pearls (which I used in the recipe video, below), you can purchase 1 lb of larger mozzerella balls and cut them into quarters or thirds (which I did for the salad in the photographs, above)
    ³The number of basil leaves this will require varies greatly depending on the size of the leaves. Use fresh basil leaves, rinse and gently pat dry, then use a knife to cut into thin ribbons before measuring into ⅓ cup (don’t pack into cup)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 3300IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 390mg | Iron: 0.7mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mariana

      August 24, 2024 at 8:25 pm

      I tried this but my glaze completely harden, I can’t pour it. Any tips for the future or how to fix this so I can still use it?

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 26, 2024 at 10:36 am

        Oh no! I’m so sorry this happened, Mariana! It shouldn’t harden. It may have been over-cooked. 🙁

        Reply
    2. Lorraine

      July 13, 2021 at 8:01 am

      It was delicious. Served it at my grandson’s birthday party. It was a hit with my Italian family.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 13, 2021 at 11:08 am

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lorraine! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Lorraine

      July 09, 2021 at 7:44 pm

      If you make the glaze the day before, should it be stored in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 11, 2021 at 9:58 pm

        Hi Lorraine! I usually do refrigerate it. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Shazia Isemann

      May 15, 2021 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect Summer salad, light yet filling.
      Love it!

      Reply
    5. silverblonde

      June 07, 2020 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good. I’m lazy so I used balsamic glaze instead.

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 08, 2020 at 2:52 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Pam

      March 12, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      Loved how easy this was to make. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it! So delicious!

      Reply
    7. Tasha

      June 16, 2019 at 11:39 pm

      Made for Father’s Day, simple and delicious. Thank you, everyone enjoyed!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 17, 2019 at 1:12 pm

        I am so glad everyone enjoyed the salad, Tasha! 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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