Caprese Salad – Fraiche Living

Timeless Italian elegance; the Caprese Salad is the Sophia Lauren of salads, and needs no introduction. Thick vine-ripened sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, red onion, finished with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and balsamic. If perfection existed, it would look like this.

What’s in a Caprese Salad?

I remember the first time I had a Caprese Salad. It was 1998. I was in Munich staying with family friends, and I ordered a Tomato Salad at an Italian restaurant. Up until that point my only encounter with salads was iceberg lettuce with some variation of Kraft dressing. I was so confused when my salad arrived, but let’s just say that it was love at first bite. My relationship with salads was forever changed (thankfully).

Quality matters here. Garden fresh thick-sliced tomatoes, equally thick slices of soft, fresh mozzarella cheese, and handfuls of fresh basil. There’s nothing complicated about it, but the combination is out of this world. A less traditional addition that I LOVE is thinly sliced red onions! Top with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a balsamic reduction, the best olive oil you can get your hands on, and a sprinkle of sea salt and you’re set.

Make Your Own Balsamic Reduction

Ran out of your favourite balsamic glaze? If you have balsamic vinegar then you can make your own! A drizzle tastes amazing on so many things, including this Italian Pasta Salad, roasted or grilled veggies, Caprese Spaghetti Squash (yum), pizza, or grilled chicken.

Makes 1 cup

• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• ¹/₄ cup sugar

1. Bring the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Simmer until it has reduced by about half, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat. It won’t look very thick at that point, but it thickens as it cools!  

That’s it, that’s all!

How to Serve Caprese Salad

Serve this salad as a side dish, appetizer or a full meal with some protein such as chicken or salmon. We serve it in our Fraîche Table Meal Plan as part of a delicious, easy, balanced meal with grilled chicken (see: Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad).

Caprese Salad is the perfect BBQ meal for the warm weather: no stove or oven required! It’s one of the many simple and wholesome recipes you can find in Fraîche Table. If you’ve been searching for a way to get organized at home, check out how the meal plan can save you buckets of stress and money! Use code SUMMERFUN to take $21 off our annual meal plan, making it less than $2/week (you can’t even buy a coffee for that)!

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

This easy Caprese Salad recipe makes the fresh ingredients the star: thick sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze and olive oil. It comes together in minutes, and is simply delicious.

Ingredients

• 2
  medium balls
  fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 2
  large tomatoes, sliced thick
• 1/4
  cup
  thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4
  cup
  fresh basil leaves
• extra virgin olive oil
  to serve
• balsamic reduction or balsamic vinegar
  to serve
• sea salt
  to taste

Instructions

1. On a medium tray or platter, layer the slices of mozzarella, tomato, red onion and basil to create your salad.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction, and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Enjoy!