Caprese salad – The ingredients for tomato mozzarella salad

• Tomatoes: Roma, plum, or paste tomatoes have firm flesh and are ideal for a Caprese tomato mozzarella salad. Depending on your preference, you can also use vine or beefsteak tomatoes. Cocktail and cherry tomatoes have a sweet flavor and harmonize perfectly with mozzarella, olive oil, and basil.
• Basil must definitely be fresh for a tomato mozzarella salad. We recommend the herb from your own garden or a pot. Herb stems in plastic packaging quickly develop germs and are harmful to the environment. You can often find basil as a potted plant in supermarkets year-round. This way, you can use the plant multiple times and place it on your balcony.
• Mozzarella comes in various types. In addition to the common cow's milk variety, you can use robust buffalo mozzarella for your Insalata Caprese. Burrata mozzarella is a special variant with a creamy, runny center of cream and soft cheese. This soft cheese is primarily made from cow's milk and has a fat content of 44 or 60 percent. For Caprese Burrata, you don't slice the soft cheese, but serve one mozzarella ball per person. This way, the appetizer impresses with a unique cheese texture.

Optional ingredients for tomato mozzarella salad

• Basil pesto: You can prepare the tomato mozzarella salad with basil pesto. Simply mix two to three teaspoons with a tablespoon of olive oil and drizzle over the tomatoes.
• Balsamic vinegar adds a subtle sweetness and pleasant spiciness to the composition. Simply stir one to two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into the olive oil as desired and drizzle the sauce over the tomatoes.

What goes well with Caprese salad?

You can serve Caprese salad with a slice of white bread and garlic butter as an ideal appetizer or light summer meal. The Mediterranean classic fits on any barbecue buffet and is the perfect accompaniment to green leaf and potato salads.

Fruity, fresh white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling harmonize excellently with Caprese salad. A dry Prosecco is also an excellent choice as an aperitif.

You can perfectly serve the tomato mozzarella salad with chicken or, more rustically, with schnitzel. The combination of tomato, mozzarella, and basil tastes excellent in puff pastry pockets. Furthermore, you can combine the salad with pasta or gnocchi or serve it as bruschetta.

Caprese in a glass is another variation of the Italian appetizer, which can be enhanced with mascarpone depending on the recipe. For a Pizza Caprese, combine the ingredients with yeast dough and tomato paste. Quick to make and delicious!

Food pairing

• Bread with garlic or tomato butter
• Chicken
• Puff pastry pockets
• Spaghetti or Gnocchi Caprese
• Pizza
• Schnitzel
• Bruschetta

A little kitchen know-how

Which olive oil is best for Caprese?

We recommend a high-quality olive oil for Caprese salad. Gently produced, this Mediterranean plant fat contains intense fruity and fine bitter notes that blend wonderfully with the classic appetizer. Tastes authentically Italian!

Which pesto goes well with tomato mozzarella salad?

Alternatively, you can prepare Caprese with basil pesto. If you are in the mood for something different, you can give the recipe an intense herbal note with cilantro, arugula, or wild garlic pesto. You should mix the pesto with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, as this makes it easier to distribute the liquid Caprese dressing over the tomatoes.

How many calories does Caprese salad have?

Caprese has about 280 kcal per 100g. Mozzarella is one of the lower-fat cheeses and, with 20g of fat per 100g, has a relatively low caloric value. Tomatoes consist of 94 percent water and have only 21 kcal per 100g. Therefore, the tomato mozzarella salad is a light side dish or snack.

Where does Caprese come from?

Insalata Caprese means salad from Capri in English and refers to the origin of this popular Italian appetizer. According to legend, a mason from the island of Capri invented the famous combination. During his lunch break, he topped his sandwich with mozzarella, tomato, and basil.

Shelf life

Caprese keeps well in the refrigerator for two days if covered. On the third day, you can still eat the tomato mozzarella salad, but the texture of the tomatoes will become mushy. Just like fresh tomatoes, Insalata Caprese cannot be frozen.