Name: Caprese Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 tomato (ripe, any variety); mozzarella cheese ((if you can swing it the more expensive stuff is worth it…especially the balls of mozzarella floating in water)); 1 handful basil (leaves only); balsamic vinegar; salt (to taste); pepper (to taste); 1 basil pesto (see link below)

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This particular recipe is my favorite “salad” of all time. Maybe this is because it doesn’t contain any lettuce and I am not too much of a lettuce person. This variation of the caprese salad is especially fabulous with locally grown in-season tomatoes. I ate the one pictured last night, and felt like I could have licked my plate at the end. Now that is a good salad. And if you love it as much as I do you can get creative with different ways to serve it. Check out the panini I made (pictured below), which is just the salad ingredients melted inside two pieces of whole-wheat bread and served with balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Caprese Salad
4.67 from 3 votes

Course: Lunch, Salads

Dietary Restrictions: Egg Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings (Adjust to suit): 2

(pronounced ka-PRAY-ze)

caprese salad 1 210x199 - Caprese Salad with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

1 tomato, ripe, any variety
mozzarella cheese, (if you can swing it the more expensive stuff is worth it…especially the balls of mozzarella floating in water)
1 handful basil, leaves only
balsamic vinegar
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 basil pesto, see link below

Instructions

Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into slices about ¼ inch thick
Arrange the tomatoes flat on a plate, top each one with a slice of mozzarella, and then either with whole or sliced basil leaves
Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, if desired
Add a dollop or two of basil pesto to the plate
Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar

Hint: If I am in a hurry I just chop everything up into pieces and throw it all together in a bowl. It tastes just the same that way!