Classic Caprese Salad with Fresh Basil and Tomatoes
My neighbor dropped off a paper bag of tomatoes from her garden one August afternoon, still warm from the sun, and this is the only thing I made with them.
Slice everything, arrange it, drizzle it. That is the whole recipe, and the tomatoes do the work.
Classic Caprese Salad with Fresh Basil and Tomatoes
Ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil layered with good olive oil and nothing else standing in the way.
Ingredients
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes , heirloom or beefsteak work best
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella , sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves , whole, not torn
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil , use the good bottle
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze , optional, drizzle at the end
Instructions
Tips & Notes
- Do not refrigerate the tomatoes before slicing. Cold tomatoes lose their fragrance and their texture turns mealy.
- Fresh mozzarella packed in water needs a 2-minute drain on a paper towel or the plate will pool with liquid.
- If your basil leaves are large, use one per layer. If they are small, use two. You want basil in every bite, not just across the top.
- Flaky salt matters here. Fine table salt dissolves too fast and disappears into the moisture before anyone takes a bite.
Nutrition per serving · estimated
Why the Olive Oil You Choose Actually Matters Here
There is no heat in this recipe, which means nothing mellows out a harsh or flat oil. Whatever you drizzle is exactly what you taste.
Use an oil you would taste straight from a spoon. Peppery, grassy, and a little bitter at the back of the throat is what you want. That bitterness balances the sweetness of ripe tomatoes in a way that bland oil simply cannot.
Tomato Quality Is the Whole Conversation
This salad is not a technique. It is a shopping decision. Tomatoes from a farmers market in July or August will not taste like grocery store tomatoes in March, and no amount of good olive oil or fresh mozzarella closes that gap.
If good tomatoes are not available, wait. This recipe will still be here when they are.
