Caprese Salad or Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

Caprese salad also referred to as “tomato, basil and mozzarella” can be done multiple ways depending on the types of tomatoes and mozzarella you have on hand. Here’s are our takes on it.

Caprese Salad or Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

This recipe is in "Changing The Game" and I refer to it as "Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella" because most of the time we are slicing some of our larger tomatoes and layering the mozz and fresh basil on top, rather than halving and using smaller tomatoes and then serving tossed in a salad bowl as a Caprese Salad. It's a wonderfully refreshing and fulfilling accompaniment to main courses such as grilled game steaks no matter which version you try. But, we also love the sliced version when offering this dish with a selection of other "small plates."
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: basil, Caprese, mozzarella, tomato
Servings: 6
Author: Craig Tomsky

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (FGBP)
  • 3to 4 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick, or cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Whisk the olive oil with garlic and FGBP and set aside. Sprinkle some salt onto the tomato slices.
  • Plate the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese on a large platter, layer the cheese on each tomato slice. Evenly distribute the shredded basil leaves over the tomatoes and cheese. Or, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil in a salad bowl if using cherry or grape tomatoes.
  • Drizzle the garlic mixture and sprinkle the salt over the platter of beefsteaks and serve. Or, drizzle the garlic mixture over the combination of smaller tomatoes, cheese, and basil and toss, then serve.
Caprese salad tossed with cherry or grape tomatoes.
Caprese salad the way Sue likes to make it using larger tomatoes.