![Caprese salad on a serving platter.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/assets.epicurious.com/photos/628ba560cf19fbfe9137ffa4/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Caprese_RECIPE_051922_34205.jpg)
Caprese salad (a.k.a. Insalata Caprese or “salad from Capri”) is a classic, crowd-pleasing appetizer, side dish, or light lunch that’s as refreshing as it is easy to prepare. The recipe originated in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo for lunchtime regulars—they’d simply order a ripe tomato picked off the vine, which would be served with fresh fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella, as buffalo weren’t found on Capri). On the island, the salad evolved to include a few leaves of wild arugula and a pinch of local dried wild oregano, but everywhere else in Italy, basil is tradition.
For this classic caprese salad recipe, it’s imperative that you use the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on: Thick slices of tomato (heirloom, please) at the peak of their season and which have never been refrigerated; milky fresh mozzarella cheese; fragrant basil leaves swiped from your backyard or your closest farmers market; and your best bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Another piece of advice: Keep it simple. Pesto? Save it for another night. Balsamic glaze? No thanks. The vinegar would drown out the delicate flavors of the cheese. Ideally eaten in the shade, overlooking the sea (or, okay, on your patio), this classic Italian summer salad is a balm of a dish on any blistering day.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in ‘Red, White, and Greens,’ and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
On a large serving platter arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle salad with basil or arugula and oregano and drizzle with oil. Season salad with salt and pepper.
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Reviews (64)
Back to TopAmazing, satisfying, but simple dish. Great as an appetizer or a side, and the balsamic is optional. Lovely, refreshing, and light accompaniment.
sam93allen9549
Lincolnshire, UK
4/9/2021
Amazing
HannahGoldberg38&’mr
Virginia
8/2/2020
Sorry but the best way to enjoy this is MINUS the balsamic vinegar.
bigpoppa206
Seattle, WA
8/13/2019
Very good. I followed kldckldc's suggestion and added a few drops of reduced balsamic vinegar. Sadly, there were no leftovers.
rmsquire
7/3/2017
45 minutes!!! Try closer to 5! This is easy, fresh, and delicicious.
ChefMW
NYC
3/21/2014
Amazing base to any lovely summer dinner party -- just do your own thing with it : )
sherryleigh353
6/16/2012
Great tour of a homegrown, organic, heirloom Caprese -- and the gardeners have a recipe for ricotta --- http://www.yourgardenshow.com/users/Your_Garden_Show/interesting-vegetables-i-have-known/slideshow/24637
lfin
Umbria Italy
8/31/2010