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Home » Recipes

Caprese Salad with Basil Pesto

Fresh Caprese Salad with homemade pesto on top
Caprese Salad

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This particular recipe is my favorite “salad” of all time: Caprese. Maybe this is because it doesn’t contain any lettuce and I am not too much of a lettuce person (haha). 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. Try this Broccoli Cauliflower Salad too!

What Is Caprese Salad?

Caprese Salad is a simple Italian recipe consisting of a few fresh ingredients. Commonly served at fancy restaurants, it’s one of those dishes that looks and sounds elaborate but is actually really easy to make. Try it as a light summer lunch or Mediterranean-inspired appetizer.  

What Is in Caprese Salad?

Almost every Caprese Salad uses the same standard ingredients: tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. Stacked together, they closely resemble the Italian flag! It's one of the few salads out there that doesn't have any lettuce.

Grape, Medium Heirloom, or Any Fresh Tomato

The best salads use the freshest tomatoes you can find, ideally grown in your own garden! Any tomato variety will work. For bigger pieces, choose a large tomato like beefsteak or medium heirlooms. If you want bitesized, slice Roma or go for cherry or grap tomatoes instead.

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Any fresh mozzarella cheese is fine but if you want an authentic (and delicious!) Caprese Salad I highly recommend splurging on the soft Mozzarella Fresca balls.

Fresh Basil Leaves

Fresh basil can easily be grown in an herb garden or purchased fresh from the store. Don’t skip the fresh basil or you’ll wind up with a dish that’s seriously lacking in flavor.

Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil

This is the dressing that tops fresh Caprese Salad and balances out the flavors. While balsamic vinegar is key, it brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes, a light drizzle of olive oil is great as well.

Salt and Pepper

Salt and pepper are key in this dish, don't be shy!

Caprese Salad with Basil Pesto

I absolutely love to add a bit of homemade basil pesto to my Caprese for extra flavor. You can either put the pesto on top of your salad or mix it in.

How to Make a Caprese Salad (+ Fun Serving Ideas)

Traditionally, Caprese Salad is sliced and served family style. To make one yourself, simply slice up each ingredient, arrange on a platter or large plate, then drizzle with (or even toss with) balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Individual Servings

Instead of a large dish, this recipe was originally created for individual servings. These are great as an easy (and healthy) summer lunch or side dish idea when you don’t want to prepare something complicated.

Caprese Salad Skewers

These are a big hit at parties (for hors d'oeuvres or appetizers) and with the kids. To make Caprese Salad skewers, slide a grape or cherry tomato, fresh basil leaf, and small ball of mozzarella cheese onto a large toothpick. You can also repeat the pattern multiple times on a skewer for a larger snack.

Once layered, drizzle the skewer with balsamic vinegar, or you can even boil down the balsamic vinegar with a little honey first to make a glaze. Serve with pesto dip.

Peach Caprese Salad

When you arrange your Caprese Salad include a fresh peach sliced between the tomato and mozzarella. I recommend cutting your peach in a round, thin slice so your layers hold together. This also works well on a platter or skewer!

Caprese Salad With Chicken

For a complete meal, add a cooked chicken to your salad. You can also stuff cooked chicken with salad ingredients (similar to the panini below) for a delicious alternative to regular chicken breasts.

Mediterranean Panini

Check out the panini I made, which is just the salad ingredients melted inside two pieces of whole-wheat bread and served with balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Caprese Sandwich Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food
Caprese Salad turned into a panini sandwich

Click here for the basil pesto recipe.

Caprese Salad

This variation of the Caprese Salad (pronounced ka-PRAY-ze) is especially fabulous with locally grown in-season tomatoes. This recipe is super simple to throw together as a light lunch, snack, or appetizer. With just tomatoes, cheese, basil, and pesto, you have yourself a yummy meal.
3 Reviews / 4.7 Average
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 0 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Course: Lunch, Salads
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Egg Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Servings: 2
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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!
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11.9K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Cheryl says

    July 06, 2015 at 12:28 am

    I'm very interested in more unprocessed recipes please.

    Reply
  2. Rosie says

    May 12, 2015 at 11:38 am

    I was wondering if you have more lettuce free salad ideas?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      May 14, 2015 at 9:50 am

      Hi. Here are a couple: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/06/14/recipe-lime-cilantro-quinoa-salad/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/01/whole-wheat-pasta-salad-%E2%80%93-two-ways/.

      Reply
  3. Michael@ItalianRestaurantSanDiego says

    March 13, 2015 at 6:36 am

    4 stars
    Quick and easy just used healthier salad recipe, my all family members loved it.

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    June 09, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    Love the basil pesto salad. The recipe on this page is wrong, however. It should say 4 T of olive oil. Thanks for the yummy recipes!

    Reply
  5. Cassandra says

    January 06, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    5 stars
    This was easy and delicious. I'm using this for a pesto pasta that I will top with tomato and parmesan.

    Reply
  6. Anya says

    April 22, 2013 at 6:35 am

    can you post the panini and balsamic vinegar recipe

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      April 29, 2013 at 11:53 am

      Hello Anya. We don’t have a recipe specific to the panini but Lisa explained it as such: “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.” Hope that helps. ~Amy

      Reply
  7. Crystal says

    April 21, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    5 stars
    I love the caprese salad...I have to suggest trying the Balsamic Glaze at Trader Joes for this. it's stays on top without running all onto the plate. it's also fab on Brucchetta and strawberries also..bad spelling I know

    Reply
  8. Marsela says

    November 11, 2012 at 12:56 am

    I made the panini and added bacon. Yum!

    Reply
  9. Sherry says

    September 06, 2012 at 11:44 am

    Andee, Pesto is supposed to be thick not runny. Add more basil and cheese to thicken it up.

    Reply
  10. Valerie says

    September 05, 2012 at 11:45 am

    If using store bought pesto, how much do you need for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says

      September 21, 2012 at 1:00 pm

      Hi Valerie. The recipe just calls for a dollop or 2. So, maybe 2-3 tablespoons depending on how much you like. Jill

      Reply
  11. Andee says

    August 29, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Hi! I've never made pesto, is it supposed to be pretty thick- not runny?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 06, 2012 at 11:03 am

      It's supposed to be a little on the runny side when you first make it because of the oil. Once you refridgerate it, it will thicken up because the oil gets thick as it cools.

      Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says

      September 12, 2012 at 1:41 pm

      Hi Andee. Yes, it's thick, I guess almost paste like. Jill

      Reply
  12. Maggie says

    May 30, 2012 at 9:21 am

    I am definitely going to try this one.

    Reply
  13. Katie says

    May 22, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    Wow! So yummy! This whole concept was a new one for me, bought basil and pine nuts for the first time ever to make my very own batch of pesto and whipped all the ingredients together on a yummy whole wheat pita and grilled to perfection. Definitely having this again tomorrow for lunch. Who new that caprese (something I'd never heard of) could be sooooo good?!

    Reply
  14. Amanda says

    April 16, 2012 at 8:58 pm

    I made these sandwiches for dinner tonight and they were awesome! I didn't have any fresh basil, so I spread the pesto on the bread before I grilled it and it was awesome. Next time I'll use even more :) Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  15. newgirl says

    March 18, 2012 at 11:38 am

    Can you eat pumpkin seeds? I have read where people substituted pine nuts with other nuts or seeds. I have seen other people comment that they have made pesto without any nuts at all.

    Reply
    • dhyana says

      August 02, 2012 at 6:53 pm

      love the pumpkins seed idea -- pine nuts are so expensive -- i've also used almonds or walunts -- whatever i have on hand -- of course, that won't help someone with nut allergies....

      Reply
      • dhyana says

        August 02, 2012 at 6:54 pm

        i'm guessing sunflower seeds would work well too! gonna give those a try tonight...

  16. Carissa says

    February 29, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    Ok. So, I'm taking a risk at asking a question when this post is like 2 years old... But, I'll ask it anyway with some hope!
    Sooo, LOVE this idea of this recipe and the sandwich version! Want to try both... But then I saw the pesto portion. This happens often. I see a recipe that looks soooooo good and a great healthy choice for my family, but then must pass on it for some reason. We have nut and fish allergy in our home (enough for epi pens). so, every time I see pesto in a recipe I cringe and move on. That cuts out many options and many recipes. Any ideas? Like, does the pesto taste as good if I just omit the nuts? Would the salad or sandwich taste as good if I omitted the pesto all together? Is there a substitute for the pine nuts?

    Reply
    • Celeste says

      March 31, 2012 at 11:38 am

      For the sandwich or the salad, I would just use the basil leaves or omit it all together. I don't know about a nut substitution in the pesto, but I have seen other nuts than pine nuts used in pesto recipes.

      Reply
    • dhyana says

      August 02, 2012 at 6:52 pm

      yes -- i've made it with a mortar and pestle -- not nuts -- delish!

      Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 06, 2012 at 10:59 am

      I make pesto all the time and never use pine nuts or any nuts. It doesn't matter, it still taste good. I have never really tasted a difference.

      Reply
    • Lainey says

      September 06, 2012 at 12:02 pm

      I know I've made basil pesto without pine nuts before; not this exact recipe, but something similar. You may have to try adding a little more Parmesan to keep the right consistency, but it's worth a try.

      Reply
    • Stephanie says

      March 03, 2013 at 8:39 pm

      I know it's late but I saw on another blog once where someone used sunflower seeds in place of the pine nuts. She said it still tasted nutty but without the nut allergy.

      Reply
  17. Brianna says

    September 20, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    I had never had either a Caprese Salad nor a pesto, so these were both new. I grilled them like a grilled cheese or panini. Score! We're going to do the Caprese Pasta Salad this week.

    Reply
  18. kelly says

    September 05, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    can you freeze the pesto??? if so for how long?

    Reply
    • Abby says

      September 12, 2011 at 6:33 pm

      I freeze a lot of my pestos but find that they don't last nearly as long when you pull them out. So I would use them up quickly or freeze them in smaller batches so it doesn't go bad before you can eat it all.

      Reply
    • 100 Days of Real Food says

      September 21, 2011 at 3:51 pm

      Yes, it can be frozen. I think it would be okay for a few months (if it even lasts that long...I use mine up pretty quickly!) Also, I freeze mine in ice cube trays, but remember since it contains oil it will still retain some liquid.

      Reply
  19. meredith says

    August 30, 2011 at 3:16 am

    did you include the pesto in the mix of things for the sandwich or just the other stuff? New at all of this. THanks.

    Reply
    • 100 Days of Real Food says

      September 20, 2011 at 3:51 pm

      Yes...I definitely included the pesto. I rubbed it on just like you would mayo. Enjoy!

      Reply
  20. Jennifer says

    August 26, 2011 at 3:00 am

    Yeah! I absolutely love caprese salad made only with fresh mozzarella. I have made it on brushetta, but had not considered a panini before. Now I know what is for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the site. I just found it and already it is bookmarked.

    Reply
  21. jessica says

    August 13, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    I've turned all my salads the past few weeks into capreses - love it! I use spinach as a base, slice up a bunch or cherry tomatoes (orange red and yellow are growing like crazy from the garden!)and sliced basil leaves and chucks of mozz - also excellent with goat cheese crumbles. Haven't tried a pesto yet but now I know what to do with all the basil from the garden! Thanx!

    Reply
  22. Molly says

    July 09, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    Caprese Salad is one of my favorite things to eat too! Just last week our family went to Hershey Park and when I was looking for a vegetarian dinner for myself, I found a panini stand serving caprese panini. It was so delicious!! I'm so excited to try your recipe - I'm sure it will be even more tasty, especially with homegrown tomatoes!!

    Reply
  23. Emily says

    June 02, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    Yum! Really want to try this!!

    Reply

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