Step-by-step recipe with photos. Caprese salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil Dressing for caprese salad

Italian types of food are often used in other countries because they contain classic ingredients on the one hand, and on the other they have unusual tastes. Caprese salad in classic or improved versions is considered healthy food because it contains fresh and natural ingredients. It can be served as a main or side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Let's look at the Caprese salad recipe with photos step by step. How to prepare a dish correctly, what is best to put in it and what is the calorie content of such food?

How to cook Caprese salad: recipes with photos

Beginners and professional chefs can easily prepare this dish in a few minutes. The basic rule to follow is: buy only fresh products. Now there are many types of Caprese salads, they differ in the types of ingredients, serving methods and dressing sauces. The dish is served exclusively fresh; there is no need to infuse it or wait for it to soak.

The original version of Caprese in Italy uses “Oxheart” tomatoes. These vegetables are very large in size, have a sweetish taste and sandy flesh. But each cook can choose other types of tomatoes (watery varieties are not recommended, as the pulp may fall out of the core). Mozzarella cheese should be taken classic, without any additions, nuts, herbs or spices, since these components will go separately in the salad. Let's look at the most popular recipes for cooking at home.

Classic with Mozzarella and tomatoes

Italians serve a light Caprese salad before pasta. In this way, the body immediately receives a large amount of vitamins and prepares to receive heavier food. This dish is considered national Italian also because it contains the main colors of the flag - red and white. No matter how the salad changes, these shades must be present in it. Consider a classic version of the dish for cooking at home.

Ingredients for a classic dish:

It is better to take fresh ripe red tomatoes of medium size - 5 pcs.
White mozzarella cheese, fresh – 300 g.
Classic balsamic vinegar - 1 tbsp. spoon.
Natural olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
Green leaves of fresh basil - about 50 g.
Salt, black and allspice - according to taste preferences.

Cooking Caprese salad recipe with photos step by step:

Wash the tomatoes and basil under running water. Place in a colander or dry paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Cut the tomatoes into slices across the base. To do this, you should take a sharp knife so that when cutting vegetables, they are not crushed. The width of the tomato slices should be about 5-7 mm. If during the cutting process the core falls out of the vegetables, such a piece should be replaced and the width of the ring should be increased.
We cut mozzarella cheese into similar sizes and shapes. If a large piece was purchased at the store, then it should be divided and cut to form a cylinder. This is the most convenient way to cut slices of cheese.
Place cheese and tomatoes alternately on a large, shallow plate. Between the layers you need to put one basil leaf, separating it from the sprig.
Salt and pepper the resulting dish to taste.
Season with olive oil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. We carry out the last operations so that the spices get on every piece of cheese and tomato. Bon appetit!

On skewers with pesto sauce

For convenience in preparing Caprese, advanced cooks use skewers. Such accessories allow you to make a small amount of food for each guest, which is convenient for buffets. Pesto adds a unique flavor to your salad because it contains basil, cheese, garlic, butter, pine nuts, or other unusual ingredients. Let's consider this dish step by step.

Ingredients for the pesto dish:

Young cheese, mozzarella – 300 g.
Cherry tomatoes or other varieties of small ripe vegetables - 300 g.
Store-bought or home-made pesto sauce – 100 g.
Green basil - optional.

How to prepare a light Italian salad on skewers with Pesto sauce:

Wash raw tomatoes and basil under cold water. There is no need to peel the roots from the vegetables first; this will be done while cutting the salad.
Prepare the skewers, pesto sauce and a large shallow plate.
Cut ripe cherry tomatoes in half. If the vegetables are very small, then they are allowed to be strung whole.
Cut the mozzarella cheese into similar pieces, preferably round or square.
Thread tomatoes and mozzarella cheese alternately onto a skewer, inserting a green basil leaf between the ingredients.
Place all the skewers on a plate in one row and pour a generous amount of pesto sauce over them.
After this, the dish is ready to be served. Bon appetit!

Calorie content of the prepared dish

On average, for every 100 g of salad in the classic version there are about 160 Kcal, which is a small value and is suitable for dietary nutrition. Such a light and at the same time very tasty dish is recommended even for those people who are on strict diets, wanting to lose excess weight. If any components change in the composition, then the energy value will be different, but this value changes slightly. Here is a table with the caloric content of Caprese.

Product type		Carbohydrates, g		Proteins, g	Calories, Kcal
Oxheart or Cherry tomatoes
Young Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil, leaves
Olive oil
Classic balsamic vinegar

Caprese (Italian) is an Italian appetizer. Very light and tasty. Such snacks are commonly considered “antipasto”. I mean, not against pasta, but before pasta - an appetizer.

Tomatoes, mozzarella, green basil and the best olive oil. A variety of spices and additives are improvisations that give caprese a unique and special taste. The snack owes its name to the island of Capri, the same one on which Maxim Gorky rested and was treated. However, the status of a resort on the island of Capri dates back to the times of the Roman Empire.

Caprese, thanks to its special combination of red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil, is very similar to the Italian flag. However, many masterpieces of Italian cuisine reproduce the color combinations inherent in the Italian flag. with mozzarella, and Capri salad.

Making caprese is very simple. There are no complicated techniques, long heat treatments or exotic ingredients in the recipe.

The classic recipe recommends only mozzarella made from buffalo milk. However, usually, even in Italy itself, they use more affordable mozzarella made from cow's milk. The size of the mozzarella balls does not play a special role. This will affect the way the cheese is cut more than the taste of the caprese. It is extremely important that the mozzarella is the freshest.

Tomatoes for salad are a subject of debate. I read somewhere that the best variety of tomatoes for caprese is considered to be “ox heart”. Our tomatoes are pink, but I wanted the tomatoes to be red. Most Italian recipes recommend "large vine-ripened tomatoes". Apparently these are tomatoes. Growing in clusters, similar to cherry tomatoes, but larger. By and large, our oblong-shaped tomatoes, similar to plums, are quite suitable. But, I accidentally came across small tomatoes, which we call “chumachok”. They satisfied me in all respects: red, elastic, without a white center and very tasty.

Green basil is the freshest, ideal if only from the garden. Preferably with small leaves. Olive oil is the best you can find. The taste of the salad depends on this. The oil must be first cold pressed.

Caprese. The recipe you've been looking for!

Ingredients (2 servings)

Mozzarella 150 gr
Medium sized red tomatoes 5-6 pcs
Green basil 2-3 sprigs
Olive oil 4-5 tbsp. l.
Salt, black pepper taste
Capers, balsamic vinegar, oregano optional

Despite the simplicity of preparation, there are still certain subtleties in preparing caprese. The very first and most important thing is that the products must be extremely fresh. It is important! Ideally, you need mozzarella that was prepared the day before. I understand that this is almost impossible for us. Almost. But there are local producers who produce quite passable mozzarella. It is better to pick tomatoes from the bush immediately before cooking, when they still smell like the garden. And under no circumstances should they be refrigerated. Naturally, pick basil from the garden. This is ideal.
Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil - the main ingredients of caprese
Actually, the entire caprese recipe consists of slicing tomatoes and mozzarella, then placing them on a plate.
Using a sharp knife, cut the tomatoes into slices 6-7 mm (1/4 inch) thick. The top and bottom of the tomato will not be used as an appetizer; you only need fleshy circles of the same diameter. There is no need to peel tomatoes from seeds and skins. Simply chop the tomatoes.
Cut the tomatoes with a sharp knife into circles 6-7 mm thick
Remove mozzarella from brine. Cut into slices as thick as sliced tomatoes. The shape of the slices is arbitrary, but the size is the same as tomatoes are cut. If you can buy mozzarella in the form of small balls, you can simply cut them in half.
Cut the mozzarella into slices as thick as tomatoes.
Next, you need a large plate, preferably white - this way the caprese will look better. Carefully place the tomato slices in a circle, alternating them with slices of mozzarella. Lay it tightly or loosely - at your discretion.
Carefully place the tomato slices in a circle, alternating them with mozzarella slices
Season the caprese just a little with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Recipes often recommend sprinkling with a pinch of oregano. Exclusively upon request. By the way, it turns out delicious, just rub the dry grass a little with your fingers so that there are no large pieces. Yes, don't overdo it with spices.
It turns out very tasty if you add 1 tsp. capers. Just sprinkle them on the salad.
Spread the basil. It turns out very tasty if you add 1 tsp. capers
Place small green basil leaves on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella. The number of leaves is to taste. You can, if you have time and desire, arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella with separate basil leaves. But this is not important.
The final touch is to pour olive oil over the salad just before serving, but not before. Important: under no circumstances should the caprese sit in the butter. It is better to serve the oil on the table in a separate bowl and pour it over the appetizer immediately before eating. By the way, it is often recommended to mix olive oil with a small amount of balsamic vinegar - sauce

In my opinion, caprese is not a salad, not an appetizer, not a meal. This is a harmony of taste, an explosion of colors, an indescribable symphony of aroma. The recipe for caprese salad - real Italian caprese - is not as simple as it seems at first glance. So what does it include?

Products for caprese

Mozzarella

Perfectly made from black buffalo milk. Oh, don’t turn the page right away, we all understand that with the perfect approach to preparing caprese, you can end up hungry, so we write “mozzarella” on the shopping list, and keep the origin in mind - maybe you’ll get lucky, who knows?

However, when choosing mozzarella, resolutely put aside semi-hard varieties of cheese, do not pay any attention to smoked varieties, but boldly take a lot of smooth, juicy balls in brine. So, we look at the packaging (intact and strong) and look for the inscription “Mozzarella di Bufala”, having found it, we take this particular cheese.

You may not be able to find mozzarella made from buffalo milk this time, so just replace it with mozzarella made from cow's milk. Of course, this is a slightly different calico, but the compromise is quite appropriate, don’t be upset.

Tomatoes

Perhaps they are the main flavor spot in caprese. Of course, the overall success of the salad is determined by the quality and excellent taste of all participants, but tomatoes are still the central figure. Tomatoes of the “Ox Heart” variety “sound” best in this appetizer; however, any ground fruit with a pronounced taste, juicy and aromatic, will also work.

Caprese is an out-of-season dish; it can be prepared both in winter and in summer, fortunately, modern supermarkets make sure that at any time of the year you can buy everything your heart desires. However, it is worth understanding that the plastic tomatoes that fill store shelves before the New Year are not the product that will decorate caprese.

Basil

Here, in general, everything is simple: fresh, with intact leaves, fragrant.

Olive oil

Of course, only the highest quality and only cold pressed. The color should be slightly herbal, and the characteristic taste of olives should be clearly felt in the taste. Don’t forget that good olive oil is fresh, young oil, so if you have a bottle in your pantry saved from a trip to Greece three years ago, it’s better to forget about it for another three years, so that later you can use it without regret to lubricate your squeaky brothers-in-law . In caprese you need to add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and nothing else.

Pesto

For salad dressing, it’s better to make it yourself, it’s not at all difficult. A powerful blender, velvety pine nuts, high-quality olive oil, luxurious Parmesan, glossy basil leaves, a couple of cloves of aromatic garlic - that’s all the wisdom. Simple, but fresh, aromatic and homemade!

By the way, pesto is not an essential component of caprese. Three pillars - cheese, tomatoes, basil, everything else simply complements the taste of the appetizer, but considering how bright and talented pesto does this, I strongly recommend not to neglect its participation in the overall event.

How to be known as a caprese connoisseur

Well, before moving on to the recipe, I suggest adding a little theoretical knowledge with which you can show off when the guests at the table begin to noisily admire them when they try your caprese.

Contrary to popular belief, the name of the word does not come from the word “whim”. The etymology is in the name of the Italian island of Capri, comfortably located in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Whether the dish was born on the picturesque slopes of the island, where K. Paustovsky and Oscar Wilde loved to visit, who inspired I. Aivazovsky and many film directors, is now not known for certain, however, it is proven that caprese owes its name to him.

Yes, and don’t forget the main thing: caprese is a type of antipasti, traditional Italian appetizers made from meat and seafood, which are accompanied by a lot of fresh, tasty vegetables and must be served on a large platter, while observing an important principle: food should not only be tasty, but also beautiful. That is why the cheese is carefully laid out on the plate, the chopped tomatoes are carefully transferred, the basil is carefully placed, in all this splendor an ensemble is sought, an ideal interaction of components, a perfect arrangement - and here it is, the caprese is ready, you can invite you to the table!

In general, caprese is a very “Italian” recipe. Origin is a self-evident fact, this time. Traditions of local cuisine and the habit of eating antipasti before pasta are two. But the funniest thing is that the finished caprese completely repeats the colors of the Italian flag: red - tomatoes, white - mozzarella, green - basil. This is such symbolism. Shall we get started?

Caprese salad recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium sized tomatoes;
200 g mozzarella;
50 g basil;
2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
1 tsp. pesto;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Let's start with the mozzarella - remove it from the brine and cut it into slices up to half a centimeter thick.

The next step is tomatoes. Wash, dry, cut into slices the same thickness as the cheese. At the same time, it will be great if the total size of the chopped mozzarella and tomato circles is approximately equal. Yes, and don’t forget that you need to carefully cut out the stalk of tomatoes.

Place vegetables and cheese on a nice large plate, alternately and slightly overlapping.

Sprinkle with olive oil. You don't need much, but you shouldn't be greedy either.

If desired, add a little salt. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Decorate with basil leaves, it’s a good idea to sprinkle with additional finely chopped herbs. Drizzle a little pesto onto each slice of cheese.

Ready! Serve immediately.

How to Serve Caprese Salad

By the way, about the presentation– if you think that all options are limited to a large plate, I hasten to dissuade you: there is a huge field for imagination.

You can serve caprese in the form of sandwiches - slices of crispy baguette on which mozzarella, tomatoes, basil are nestled, lightly flavored with olive oil... Sometimes, you must admit, you can easily give half a kingdom for such a treat!

A beautiful “guest” option is “turrets” of cheese, tomatoes and basil. Topped with pesto, they look amazing!

Skewers are a great way to serve a delicious appetizer during a buffet. A “pillow” of baked peppers or zucchini, on which the freshest tomatoes and cheese rest – a satisfying combination of warm and cold. Multi-colored mousse in glasses – not caprese, of course, but still an option!

By the way, antipasti in portioned molds is a very elegant idea. Take a beautiful dish of an unusual shape, put bright tomatoes, snow-white cheese in it, decorate it with flirtatiously looking basil leaves - and immediately the spirit of the holiday appears, the presence of solemnity, cheerful laughter, and beloved friends is felt. To implement this idea, it is better to take cherry tomatoes and baby mozzarella. By placing everything neatly in tiny glasses, you will get a non-standard verrine - an original way of serving salads and appetizers, in which the ingredients are stacked in layers and offered to the table in a container whose volume does not exceed 170 ml.

No less opportunities for creativity open up when you try to dream up the ingredients for caprese. Classics of the genre are good, but experiments are also great! How else will you understand how delicious caprese with fresh champignons turns out if you don’t cook it soon?

Nuts, figs, strawberries, arugula, grapes - try, combine and enjoy the natural taste of freshness, nature, vitamins!

The recipe for caprese salad with aromatic sauce is very simple. There is no need to fry anything, bake, marinate or leave the salad for several hours in the refrigerator. There aren't even any exotic ingredients here. Everything is very simple, but at the same time there are small nuances in preparing caprese that should be mentioned.

For a salad where the main ingredients are tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, there is one rule - everything must be fresh! Tomatoes and basil are ideal from the garden. Mozzarella cheese can be taken either in one large ball or in small ones. This will not affect the taste, except perhaps the way the tomatoes are cut.

The variety of tomatoes can also be debated for a long time. Some recommend “bull’s heart” - a sweet, pink and fleshy tomato. Others generally make caprese in a deep bowl with cherry tomatoes. I recommend taking a sweet, elastic and fleshy tomato without a white center.

Basil is only green. It should be fresh, the leaves are bright, juicy and aromatic. The size of the basil does not affect the taste, except that the appearance of the salad with too large leaves will suffer slightly. It is recommended to take olive oil first cold pressed. For caprese salad, use the best olive oil.

To prepare a caprese salad, you just need to chop the tomatoes, mozzarella and top it all with basil leaves.

So, armed with a sharp knife, cut the tomatoes into circles 5-7 mm thick. The only disadvantage of this cutting is that not all the tomato will go into the salad. The bottom and top will only spoil the whole picture, so adding them to the salad is not recommended. Only fleshy identical circles.

Cut the mozzarella ball into slices identical in thickness to tomatoes. If the cheese was in brine, then remove it from the liquid and let it drain.

Wash the basil and shake off droplets of water from the leaves.

Most often, caprese salad is served on white plates and for good reason - it is on them that the salad will look best.

Place slices of tomatoes and mozzarella in a circle on a plate, and place basil leaves between them. Alternate these ingredients until the circle of them closes.
Sprinkle just a little black pepper. But there is no need to add salt. We will serve the salad with a flavorful sauce that contains salt.

For the sauce, you need to do the following: place basil leaves, mustard, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a clove of garlic and olive oil in a blender bowl.

By pulsing with a blender, turn its contents into a slurry, a kind of thick sauce. Try it, maybe there is not enough salt? Or lemon juice? Adjust green sauce to taste.

Nowadays various foreign dishes are gaining more and more popularity. Of course, the recipe can be found without difficulty, however, not all the secrets of cooking are revealed in the usual short algorithms, which only list the ingredients and procedure. We suggest preparing the famous Caprese salad using good instructions, which contain an algorithm of actions, useful tips, and some nuances of creating the dish. Of course, you will need not only to remember all the subtleties, but also to choose the right products, prepare them, and not upset the balance of tastes.

What is so attractive about this snack? The thing is that you can make Caprese in literally a matter of minutes, but at the same time get a wonderful modern, universal salad as a result. It looks great on a holiday table and is also suitable for an everyday menu. Another advantage of the dish is noted by nutritionists. This is what one famous Moscow nutritionist says about the snack and its role in the menu for losing weight. “Many people ask me what specific dishes are best to diversify your diet when you’re on a diet. I always draw my clients' attention to the Caprese salad. It is no coincidence that this famous Italian snack has become famous throughout the world. It contains a complex of valuable substances, useful microelements, and vitamins. At the same time, the snack not only does not threaten weight and parameters, but also itself stimulates an increase in metabolism, improved metabolism and the breakdown of fats. It's all about the optimal combination of ingredients. In the salad, tomatoes and mozzarella play the leading role, and greens reinforce the effect. It is enough to eat such a dish two or three times a week to already bring noticeable benefits to the body. I recommend that my clients regularly include this snack in their menu to supply the body with vitamins and speed up metabolism. In addition, diversifying the menu during the diet is also extremely important, otherwise it becomes more and more difficult to adhere to strict limits every day. The recipe is very simple, so preparing the dish will not be difficult.”

Be sure to remember all the subtleties so that your salad turns out tasty and healthy. Just writing down the recipe is not enough here.

Cooking Italian appetizer

Let us immediately indicate exactly what ingredients we will need to prepare this dish. First of all, think about where you will buy Italian cheese, since a lot depends on its quality and freshness. Mozzarella should be stored well, in the right conditions, which is great if the cheese comes straight from Italy. Other products must also be chosen carefully. It is advisable to give preference to a store with a good reputation, an outlet of a large chain. Otherwise, you will have a hard time finding truly high-quality salad ingredients. Write down the recipe, do not forget about the subtleties of preparation and useful tips.

Remember the list of ingredients. You will need mozzarella cheese, approximately 200 grams, medium-sized tomatoes, 4 pieces will be enough. Also take one fresh lemon, basil and parsley, olive oil, and a little balsamic vinegar.

First you need to prepare the cheese. Our recipe involves using a specific type of cheese. Only mozzarella is suitable for Caprese. Immediately pay attention to what container the cheese is placed in. Sometimes mozzarella is supplied in plastic bags in which it floats in a special brine. In principle, this is a good option, but it is still better to find cheese in a dense container. It is important that most often reputable manufacturers do not skimp on packaging, and it is better to store such cheese in tight packaging. In it, it will definitely remain in its original form, will not deform and will not lose its original characteristics. It’s great if your store where you buy groceries has mozzarella in cardboard boxes, brought directly from Italy. It is in this country that the best cheese of this type is made. The classic snack recipe does not say anything about additional processing of cheese, but you can make small adjustments to the algorithm. Next, we will tell you how you can diversify the snack a little.

You can specially treat the cheese before adding it to the salad. This is how one young housewife does it. “I use my own Caprese recipe, but I have heard about a similar method from other women. The reception is not unique, but it is good. It will allow you to make the snack more piquant and give it a memorable taste. Here's what to do with cheese. First, take it out, put it on a napkin in a plate and dry it a little. It should be left in the air for 10-20 minutes. At this time, prepare a special brine. Take a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, three tablespoons of olive oil. Traditionally they use oil without aroma, but I just like a liquid with a characteristic smell. It is unrefined olive oil that gives my salad its special appeal. Now take a few sprigs of basil and chop them finely. Mix vinegar and oil with the brine in which the cheese was previously floating. Now all that remains is to put the mozzarella in a new brine, and then wait about 20 minutes. The cheese will acquire an amazing flavor, and its traditional flavor notes will be perfectly emphasized. Experience the “zest” of Caprese for yourself!”
Tomatoes also need to be given special attention. To prepare not only a delicious, but also a very aesthetic salad, you should take care of the size of the tomatoes and cheese. As you know, mozzarella is spherical pieces of cheese. Traditionally, the Italian appetizer is served like this: cheese and tomatoes are cut into circles, and then placed on a plate one by one. Of course, the appetizer in which the tomatoes and cheese are almost the same size looks more visually impressive. To achieve the desired result, you need to think in advance what size cheese you will have. If the balls are small, small cherry tomatoes are more suitable. Large circles of cheese should be combined with classic medium-sized tomatoes. You need to work with tomatoes, choose them correctly. Look for quality, ripe, richly colored tomatoes. It’s great if you can immediately hear the characteristic aroma of ripe tomatoes. The ideal option is tomatoes with leaves, on branches. By looking at the greenery, you can instantly determine the degree of freshness of a tomato.

The appetizer is very delicate, so it should not be spoiled by tomato skins that squeak on your teeth. Our recipe involves peeling the tomatoes. Simply take the tomatoes, scald them, and then quickly place them in cold water, preferably under running water. Then the skin will come off instantly. Be especially careful with small tomatoes so as not to damage them when you remove the skin.
There is another secret to making a flavorful salad. According to our recipe, we do not additionally process the cheese in a special brine, but we prepare the tomatoes in a special way. You need to save the brine from the mozzarella and then place the tomatoes in it once they are already chopped. Leave the tomatoes in the brine for about 20 minutes. You will appreciate the effect: the flavors seem to mix, the tomatoes acquire the aroma and flavor of cheese. This is a very simple secret, but it helps make the flavor bouquet of the snack richer and more balanced. Just remember that the recipe calls for only one ingredient to soak in the special sauce. If you soak the cheese in the extra sauce and then the tomatoes, you may throw off the flavor balance because the flavors will become too strong.
Now take the basil. Be sure to find really fresh basil that is fragrant and has dense leaves. You can tear it into individual leaves, but our recipe assumes that you cut the basil quite finely. Pay attention to the cutting method, this is important. The greens should not be cut with a knife, but rather chopped, making sharp, quick movements. If you cut the basil for a long time and press it, a lot of juice will come out of it, and all of it will remain on the board. You need to keep the flavorful juice inside.

You also need to take parsley. It is advisable to purchase greens in a pot, since this is how they stay fresh longer and retain all the vitamins. Chop the parsley with a knife too. Try not to squeeze out the juice.

Now take lemon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. It's time to prepare the dressing for our appetizer. The recipe calls for squeezing the juice out of half a lemon. Take a small lemon. Mix the juice with vinegar, one teaspoon is enough. Then add unflavored olive oil.