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Caprese Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

📍 Italy
⏱️Prep: 10 min
Total: 10 min
🍽️4 servings
Difficulty: Easy

The caprese is both the simplest and most unforgiving Italian salad: ripe tomato, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil dressed with nothing but extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt. No vinegar, no garlic, nothing to hide behind. The tomato and mozzarella quality is everything — get them right and there is nothing to improve. It originated on the island of Capri, the three ingredients painting the colours of the Italian flag.

🛒 Ingredients

4 servings
  • 4 ripe vine tomatoes
  • 400g mozzarella di bufala
  • 1 bunch fresh basil
  • good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • flaky sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • balsamic reduction (optional)

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

  1. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into 1cm rounds.

  2. Alternate the tomato and mozzarella slices on the plate.

  3. Scatter fresh basil leaves on top.

  4. Drizzle generously with olive oil and flaky sea salt.

  5. Add freshly ground black pepper and, if you like, a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

💡 Chef's tip

The secret is the quality of the ingredients. With mozzarella di bufala and perfectly ripe August tomatoes, no elaborate dressing can improve it.

📝 Our take

Caprese is not a salad, it is a statement of principles: when the ingredients are good, no tricks are needed. Real mozzarella di bufala, perfectly ripe seasonal tomatoes and fresh basil torn at the last moment. Everything else is surplus.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

Light southern Italian white: Vermentino from Sardinia or Falanghina from Campania. A well-chilled Pinot Grigio also works perfectly.

Suggested wine: Vermentino de Cerdeña o Pinot Grigio

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