Caprese Salad Recipe with Balsamic Dressing

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This Caprese Salad recipe is fresh, flavorful and delicious made with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil, and a homemade garlic balsamic dressing! It’s truly the perfect summer salad. Delicious served as an appetizer to Lasagna and Garlic Bread. Yum!

But First, What is Caprese Salad?

A Caprese Salad (pronounced kuh·pray·zay) is a simple Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, salt, and olive oil. Like the Italian flag, this salad features the white, red, and green colors. It’s extremely popular and for good reason. One bite and you’ll understand the juicy sweet tomatoes paired with the herby basil and the creamy mozzarella is AMAZING.

Main Ingredients Needed for Caprese Salad

There are three simple ingredients needed for a classic Caprese Salad recipe. While I include a few more for the overall recipe, these are the main ones that you’re going to want to find. Remember: since this recipe is only made up of a handful of ingredients, try to use the best quality ingredients you can find.

• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese. This mozzarella cheese is the kind that is softer, creamier, and packed in saltwater. I use Bocconcini which are the mini mozzarella balls, but the mozzarella slices work just fine as well, cut into cubes.
• Fresh Ripe Tomatoes. I love using sweet grape tomatoes because regardless of the time of year, these always taste sweet and the quality is good. I hate a grainy tomato in the winter, so always gravitate towards the grape or cherry tomatoes most of the time. If you can find some ripe heirloom tomatoes, by all means, use those and just slice them. But in case you can’t find those, the grape tomatoes work great!
• Fresh Basil Leaves. Herby and delicious, this is the last ingredient needed for a classic Caprese Salad. There is no real substitute for this and bonus: it’s super easy to grow yourself!

For the Garlic Balsamic Dressing

Honorable mentions for my recipe include balsamic vinegar, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic.

Traditionally, just a balsamic reduction, balsamic glaze or vinaigrette is used on a caprese salad. I really love the added flavors in this garlic mustard balsamic dressing, so I opted to use it in this recipe!

Tips for the best Caprese Salad!

• Use room temperature ingredients for the best flavor.
• Visit your local farmer’s market for fresh produce.
• Make a homemade balsamic glaze for an extra special touch.

Make it a Meal!

You could add a protein to this salad to make it a meal. Chicken Parmesan or Spaghetti and Meatballs would be super tasty with this salad.

How to Make Caprese Salad

One thing that actually makes my heart go pitter-patter is a really good salad. More specifically, this easy Caprese salad. This Italian side salad is delicious on its own, but particularly good with my homemade garlic balsamic dressing. SO so tasty! For full recipe details including ingredient measurements, see the recipe card down below. Follow these quick and simple steps to make your tasty salad.

1. Assemble the Salad

Place bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) and ripe tomatoes on a serving platter, arranging them in blocks of color. Sprinkle the fresh basil all over. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.

2. Make the Balsamic Dressing

I LOVE a good garlicky dressing and this one does not disappoint. While balsamic vinegar is a traditional topping for this salad, the garlic isn’t. But I’m not one to shy away from making the classics a tiny bit more flavorful and garlic seemed like an obvious choice.

Measure out garlic, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake it up to emulsify, then drizzle it over the salad. Again, makes for a great presentation!

Storage + Make Ahead Directions for Caprese Salad

This salad tastes best when freshly made and assembled. Plus it’s super quick to throw together.

Make Ahead– This salad side dish is easy to make ahead! Just be sure to store the dressing separately and as much moisture is removed from the fresh mozzarella as possible. Moisture tends to ruin the integrity of the other ingredients, so making sure there isn’t much is key. This Caprese Salad will last up to 3 days in the fridge. Right before serving, top with dressing.

Other Favorite Italian Recipes to Try!

• Italian Pasta Salad
• Classic Margherita Pizza
• Stuffed Shells
• Lasagna Soup
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Watermelon Caprese Salad

Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue, looking for a light meal, or simply craving something flavorful, this simple Italian salad with its vibrant colors and so much flavor is sure to be a hit. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends! 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.