The Authentic style is tomatoes, fresh buffalo milk mozzarella, and fresh Italian basil leaves drizzled with either a balsamic reduction or aged balsamic vinegar.
The salad has been adapted through the years by adding olives, and other ingredients including a Panzanella Salad Caprese style with garlic coated bread cubes.
This is always one of our favorites to make during the Christmas Holiday Season, we get creative and make slices of cheese and tomato into wreaths and candy cane shapes.
This tomato salad makes a great lunch, side dish with any meal.
Scroll down to my printable recipe card for complete instructions.
Insalata Caprese
This salad (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh plum tomatoes, and basil.
We prefer a good grade balsamic reduction on our Caprese salads which is 18 years aged or you can make a delicious balsamic reduction with my recipe below.
This is an all year round salad we never tire of, it's simple and delicious.
Other Ideas and Additions
- Make a wreath shaped using cheese, tomato, and folded salami
- Make threaded skewers of mozzarella balls, tomato with basil in between
- During a patriotic holiday make a flag using black olives for the flag side and make rows of grape tomato and mozzarella balls cut the stars out of flat white cheese with a small appetizer star cookie cutter
Insalata Caprese Authentic Recipe Ingredients You Will Need
see below for the recipe in the printable recipe card
- fresh sliced mozzarella
- extra virgin good grade olive oil
- garlic cloves
- salt, pepper
- fresh basil leaves, fresh parsley, and oregano if you like it
- aged balsamic vinegar or my balsamic reduction recipe below
- sliced plum tomatoes
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Other Salads We Love
Oriental Chicken Salad
Greek House Dressing
Panzanella Salad
Caprese Tortellini Salad
Healthy Caprese Salad
This salad is easy to make, taste delicious and it can turn into a creative festive platter that puts a smile on everyone's face.
If you're looking for a special holiday or everyday salad this one is very versatile, just add some of Grandma's Tuscan Garlic Bread and enjoy!

Balsamic Reduction Glaze
Yield: 1 cup
prep time: 1 Mcook time: 35 Mtotal time: 36 M
Insalata Caprese Salad is mozzarella and dressing with fresh tomatoes annd basil
ingredients:
- Insalata Caprese Authentic Recipe
- fresh buffalo mozzarella or use whole milk
- extra virgin good grade olive oil
- garlic cloves
- salt, pepper
- fresh basil leaves, fresh parsley, and oregano if you like it
- balsamic vinegar reduction recipe below
- sliced plum tomatoes
- Balsamic Reduction
- 2 cups good quality balsamic vinegar
instructions:
How to cook Balsamic Reduction Glaze
- Place 2 cups of a good grade balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on medium heat until it starts to boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer until the vinegar is reduced to half of the liquid.
- Stir this occasionally, and keep on very low heat.
- Cool and store in a glass mason jar for as long as 1 month.
- For the Salad:
- Arrange mozzarella around the plate, drizzle with olive oil, spices and serve with crusty Italian bread.
- Optional salad: make this the same way except add the sweet cherry peppers to the middle and alternate with cucumber slices.
Calories
90
90
Fat (grams)
9
9
Sat. Fat (grams)
2
2
Sugar (grams)
-3
-3
Holiday Insalata Caprese Salad Pin for later
More Recipes We Love
Butternut Squash Salad
Watermelon Basil Salad
Avocado Chickpea Salad
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2020.
Great recipe. We make it all the time. I was commenting to my wife the other night. Both having worked late. Dinner not cooked!!! We had a bag of tomato's that just was yelling "Eat Us", "Eat Us", Well after hearing those tomatos I whipped out my knife sliced them, put some olive oil, balsamic vinegar,salt & pepper and fresh basil of course. We had some french bread that was going stale opened a bottle of red wine. We ate this simple meal and dined like a Prince and Princess.
ReplyDeleteYep, this is the absolute most perfect caprese salad! We always order this out, but we really need to make this at home!
ReplyDeleteSimple, beautiful and delicious!
ReplyDelete