Caprese salad is a light and flavorful salad, inspired by Mediterranean eating. This signature salad features layers of fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and a light drizzle of high-quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
The secret to eliciting delightfully complex flavors from this seemingly simple combination of salad ingredients is to start with the freshest and highest quality ingredients that you can find.
Caprese Salad Ingredients Fresh vine-ripened Tomatoes; sliced into rounds (such as Campari) Fresh Basil Leaves; chiffonade & whole for garnish
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese; sliced into rounds (such as Bel Gioioso) Extra Virgin Olive Oil; first cold pressed Balsamic Vinegar of Modena; 4 gold leaf rated
5 Easy Steps to Preparation
1. Layer fresh mozzarella cheese rounds onto a serving platter.
2. Top each cheese slice evenly with tomato slices. 3. Sprinkle basil leaves cut into 'chiffonade' over top. To chiffonade: stack basil leaves, roll tightly and slice into strips using a sharp chef's knife.
4. Drizzle with high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Ideally, choose a young olive oil sourced during the first "cold" pressing of the olives (meaning the temperature did not exceed 80.6° F). 5. Drizzle with a high-quality balsamic vinegar. Ideally, choose a balsamic vinegar sourced from the Modena region of Italy. Commercial preparations bearing 4 gold leaves (on a scale of 1-4) are considered to be top choice. Aging concentrates balsamic vinegar and can enhance both
flavor and viscosity.