• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Lauren's LatestLauren's Latest

A food and lifestyle blog

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Slow Cooker
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Caprese Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing

August 16, 2018 · 78 Comments

5 from 16 votes

Jump to Recipe

Nothing beats a Caprese Salad Recipe made with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil, and a homemade garlic balsamic dressing! The perfect salad all year long.

There are very few {healthy} foods I love much more than brownies. And cookies. And fries. But one thing that actually makes my heart go pitter patter is a really good salad. More specifically, this Caprese salad.

Caprese Salad

What is Caprese Salad?

Caprese Salad 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.

Caprese Salad Recipe

I like to make my version of this salad very similar to the classic version, but use Bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), sweet grape tomatoes, add coarse ground black pepper and make a balsamic-garlic dressing. I also added in a few extra greens to fill the salad out more and make it go a little further…slash so I didn’t just eat all the fresh mozzarella on its own….by myself. If you’re feeding a crowd, this is a great way to stretch a dollar. Of course, the addition of lettuce is totally optional.

Plus you could add this with a protein to make it a meal. Chicken Parmesan would be super tasty with this salad recipe.

How to Make Caprese Salad

How to Make Caprese Salad

This Caprese Salad could not be any easier to make. Follow these quick and simple steps to make your tasty salad.

  1. Place baby greens onto a serving platter. Top with bocconcini, tomatoes, basil, and pepper.
  2. To serve, try putting blocks of color together instead of spreading everything out evenly over the top to make it look pretty. That’s just my personal preference.

How to Make Caprese Salad Dressing

I LOVE a good garlicky dressing and this one does not disappoint. It’s not the most traditional thing to drizzle over a Caprese salad, but man is it delicious. It’s like creamy, herby, sweet and spicy health food.

  1. Measure out garlic, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid.
  2. Shake it all up to incorporate the dressing, then drizzle it over the salad.

Just a small FYI, this dressing is for drizzling over your salad, not for mixing in.

Caprese Salad Recipe

Can this be Made Ahead of Time?

Yes! But just so you know, the salad tastes best when freshly made and assembled. Plus it’s super quick to throw together. However, you could probably make it then store it in the fridge the day before and still be fine. But make sure not to store the dressing and salad together. You can make the dressing ahead of time and store in an airtight container. Right before serving drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!

More Italian Salads!

  • Italian Pasta Salad
  • Watermelon Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze
  • Grilled Herb Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and Basil

Anyways, the moral of this blog post is…

1. I like this salad recipe slightly more than fries.

2. I like to eat copious amounts of fresh mozzarella.

And there you have it. Printable recipe card is below, make sure to save/pin/print this one out. Enjoy!

5 from 16 votes
Print

Easy Caprese Salad

Nothing beats a Caprese Salad made with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil and a homemade garlic balsamic dressing! The perfect salad all year long.

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword caprese salad, italian salad, side salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 539 kcal
Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

  • 1 plastic container of washed baby greens any kind {about 6 cups}
  • 1 lb. Bocconcini drained, patted dry and halved {baby mozzarella balls}
  • 1 lb. grape tomatoes washed and halved
  • 12 large basil leaves chopped
  • cracked black pepper to taste

for the dressing-

  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 7 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. Place baby greens onto a serving platter. Top with bocconcini, tomatoes, basil, and pepper.
  2. Measure all ingredients for dressing into a small jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake and drizzle over salad. Serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
Easy Caprese Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 539 Calories from Fat 441
% Daily Value*
Fat 49g75%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 147mg6%
Potassium 286mg8%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 1010IU20%
Vitamin C 16mg19%
Calcium 424mg42%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Italian, Recipes & Food, Salads, Side Dishes, Summer Salads, Vegetarian, Video

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ashton says

    February 12, 2014 at 5:16 am

    I LOVE caprese too! I would totally pick anything caprese over anything sweet (but shhhh! Don’t tell people that… it’s bad for business 😉 ). This look delish! Pinned 🙂

    Reply
  2. Katrina @ WVS says

    February 12, 2014 at 7:19 am

    5 stars
    This is one of my all time favorites! Love that balsamic!

    Reply
  3. Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says

    February 12, 2014 at 8:10 am

    Yum!! This looks SO fantastic and has me wishing for summer! Pinning!

    Reply
  4. Natalie @ Paper And Birch says

    February 12, 2014 at 8:54 am

    I’m with you – brownies all the way! 😀 This salad looks awesome, love a caprese!

    Reply
  5. Anna (Hidden Ponies) says

    February 12, 2014 at 7:03 pm

    HA, you speak le same francais as moi. LOVE this gorgeous fresh salad, one can never have too many caprese salads.

    Reply
  6. Ashley | Our Full Table says

    February 12, 2014 at 7:22 pm

    The dressing sounds amazing YUM!

    Reply
  7. Susanne says

    February 13, 2014 at 9:25 am

    I am wanting this SO bad right now! 14 inches of fresh snow outside but this salad says SUMMER!

    Reply
  8. Chels R. says

    February 13, 2014 at 12:44 pm

    5 stars
    My fave salad!

    Reply
  9. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

    February 13, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    Oh my goodness, Lauren, you’re making me wish summer would just hurry the heck up already! This is such a gorgeous caprese!

    Reply
  10. Paula – bell’alimento says

    February 14, 2014 at 7:42 pm

    Lauren, this salad looks beautiful and the dressing sounds amazing! Pinning!

    Reply
  11. Bevie Bracikowski says

    March 26, 2014 at 9:57 am

    I am so glad that I found you; although my husband thinks that I hired someone else to cook for us!

    I am looking for a recipe I had but lost…I am hoping you can help me and soon. It is pineapple cuts made in a large cookie sheet pan. It has a cream cheese crust and is not dry at all. The filling has instant vanilla pudding and canned pineapple in it…………however, it is quite versital as to what other ingredients can go in it.
    Thanks so much!

    Bevie B

    Reply
  12. Kristin @ Welcome Haven says

    June 22, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    5 stars
    Love it! Just made it for a last minute BBQ we’re attending. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  13. Heidi says

    June 25, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was delicious! A hit for husband and myself but also two foody toddlers. A must make folks!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 26, 2014 at 12:56 pm

      How can I like this comment 6 million times?! Thanks for letting me know, Heidi!

      Reply
  14. M Atkinson says

    June 26, 2014 at 8:21 am

    5 stars
    I also add chopped green onions and sliced black olives to mine. Soooo gooood!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      June 26, 2014 at 12:52 pm

      ooh, good idea!!

      Reply
  15. Heidi says

    August 21, 2014 at 12:38 pm

    Can the dressing be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      August 21, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      yes!

      Reply
  16. Elizabeth says

    August 22, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    Awesome, Lauren. I love this. Pinned and thank you!!

    Reply
  17. t m harris says

    August 30, 2014 at 9:58 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for a party of picky eaters and it was so very well received. Looked beautiful and tasted fantastic. The dressing was really delicious. Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply
  18. mary beth at MBZ Interiors says

    July 12, 2015 at 7:02 am

    Hi, thanks for this recipe. Going to baby shower today and making it now. Just wanted to suggest that when writing a recipe tablespoon should be indicated with a capital T (Tablespoon, Tsp. and teaspoon, tsp.) (just an fyi) Thanks again

    Reply
  19. Donna Willingham says

    July 26, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Awesome, can’t wait to make and eat.

    Reply
  20. Helen says

    July 25, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    Love this recipe, making it tonight! Adding a few oven fried chicken tenders on the side and calling it a meal! (Will serve some mashed potatoes to the hubby so he is sure to get full.) Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  21. Theresa McInerney says

    December 19, 2016 at 8:29 pm

    I’m so going to add this salad to our pasta bar meal. Looks great!

    Reply
  22. Andi Leubitz says

    December 20, 2016 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    I love this salad! It looks beautiful, fresh and delicious. The colors are incredible. Can’t wait to make it tonight for dinner!

    Reply
  23. Susan says

    April 24, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    We love caprese salad too, and here is how to make it even better: dress it with good balsamic vinegar (not the cheap stuff), and pesto. Out of this world!

    Reply
  24. Marti says

    May 9, 2017 at 3:17 am

    That looks so good!!

    Reply
  25. LeAnna says

    October 23, 2017 at 11:24 am

    5 stars
    This is my very favorite caprese salad recipes. I usually make it without the greens, but the dressing is a must. Then if there are any leftovers, we pick out the mozzarella the next day. 🙂 I will pick a caprese salad over just about any kind of salad.

    Reply
  26. Alena says

    November 22, 2017 at 10:08 am

    I love caprese salad as well, one of the tastiest and easiest salads to make!

    Reply
  27. Beth Carroll says

    November 22, 2017 at 5:36 pm

    This looks super simple and delicious! The garlic balsamic dressing sounds amazing and different!

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello!

I'm Lauren--a Pro Recipe Developer, picture taker, lover of my husband and carbs, living in New York City. Get to know me →

Shop

  • Splendid Key West Bag-in-Bag Tote
  • 'Jefferson' Slip-On Sneaker
  • Contemporary Nonstick 13" Deep Skillet
  • OXO ® Silicone Oven Mitt and Pot Holder

Footer

As Seen On

Reader Faves

Strawberry Avocado Kale Salad with Bacon Poppyseed Dressing

Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

Lasagna Cups

Morning Glory Muffins

  • NYC Travel Guide
  • This Week at the Brennans
  • Work With Lauren

lauren’s latest picks

  • OXO ® Silicone Oven Mitt and Pot Holder
  • Signature 7 1/4 Quart Round Enamel Cast Iron French/Dutch Oven
  • 2017 Christmas Magazine | Lauren's Latest $12.99
  • Contemporary Nonstick 13" Deep Skillet
  • J.K. Adams Co. Patisserie Rolling Pin
  • About
  • Contact
  • FAQs
  • Work With Lauren
  • Shop

Copyright © 2019 · Lauren's Latest

Lauren's Latest
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Slow Cooker