Caprese Salad
Sofia Romano
@sofiaromanoeats
Prep
10 min
Cook
—
Total
10 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Let's cook
Bring everything to room temperature
Take the tomatoes and mozzarella out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Cold flattens tomato flavour completely and firms the cheese into rubber.
💡Never build this straight from the fridge. Room temperature is not optional here.
Salt the tomatoes first
Slice the tomatoes about half an inch thick, lay them out, and salt them. Leave 10 minutes — they release liquid and season through rather than just tasting salty on the surface.
Tear, do not slice
Tear the mozzarella into rough pieces by hand. The ragged surface holds oil far better than a clean knife cut, and it looks better too.
Layer
Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella on a wide platter, overlapping loosely. Tuck whole basil leaves between the layers rather than scattering them on top.
Dress at the last moment
Drizzle generously with olive oil and lightly with balsamic. Finish with flaky salt and cracked pepper. Serve within a few minutes.
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📝 Tips, swaps, and make-ahead notes
This lives or dies on tomato quality — out of season, use the best cherry tomatoes you can find rather than pale beefsteaks. The liquid pooling on the platter is the best part; serve with bread to mop it up.
- •Swap: Burrata in place of mozzarella turns this into something considerably more decadent.
- •Vegan: Marinated firm tofu or a cashew mozzarella both work; keep the tomatoes and oil generous.
- •Do not make ahead: Assembled caprese weeps within twenty minutes. Prep the components, combine at the table.
Nutrition & Safety
Calories
286kcal
Protein
14g
Carbs
8g
Fat
23g
⚠️ Allergen & Safety Note
This recipe contains dairy. Nutritional values are estimates per serving and may vary based on the specific ingredients you use. If you have food allergies, please verify all ingredients before cooking.
AI-assisted content. Always verify instructions with trusted culinary sources.
Made by the Chew community
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