Caprese Salad Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

What tomato is best for caprese? ›

When selecting tomatoes, choose fragrant ones that smell earthy at the stem end and feel heavy for their size. Avoid any with wrinkled skins. You can also make a caprese with smaller tomato varieties, such as plum, roma, cherry, grape, or sungold.

To Make Ahead: This easy Caprese salad is definitely best served fresh but it can stay in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you need to make it ahead of time, slice the mozzarella and tomatoes and store them separately in the refrigerator.

As it's called in Italian, Insalata caprese, Caprese salad literally means “Salad of Capri.” Although nobody knows whether or not the salad was actually first made on the Italian island, it likely originated from a dish made in Capri from a different type of cheese, cacio, served with tomatoes.

All things considered, YES a Caprese salad is a healthy option! Low in calories with a bunch of important nutrients coming from the vegetables and healthy fats from the cheese and olive oil. Basil also is a strong anti-inflammatory with enzyme-inhibiting oils.

CILIEGINE. These mozzarella balls are about the size of a cherry. Bocconcini and ciliegine can be used interchangeably — try either thread on skewers with cherry tomatoes for a twist on Caprese.

Tomato 'Nepal'

"It has an aggressive, full flavor that will delight those who love intense tomatoes," he says, likening it to one of those delicious fruits bought at a local farm stand or picked from a relative's garden.

Caprese salad makes a scrumptious quick lunch at home, or you can serve it with grilled steak kabobs for an easy summer dinner! It's just as perfect for a full blown Italian-inspired feast with spaghetti and meatballs and garlic cheese bread. Oh, and tiramisu for dessert?

Fresh chevre or fromage blanc, tender mozzarella, and even luscious mascarpone pair perfectly with summer's bounty. You just need a slab of toast to serve them on, and maybe a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of flaky sea salt, handful of fresh herbs, or sprinkle of everything spice to finish the dish.

Baby Tomatoes: Cherry, Grape, and co*cktail

Easily halved, cherry tomatoes are ideal for all sorts of salads, especially pasta salads. They aren't only enjoyed raw, however. Because they're so juicy, cherry tomatoes make a delicious a sauce, like in our Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta.

The caprese salad is a classic Italian dish that has gained popularity all over the world. The salad is made with fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella slices, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper, and is traditionally placed on a plate in a layered circular pattern.

Is caprese good for weight loss? ›

Created in the 1950s as a light lunch for regulars at a famed Italian restaurant, Trattoria da Vincenzo, the Caprese Salad is a favorite for those on our low carb diets and weight loss management programs because it's filling and packed with flavor, yet also very nutritious.

With only 3 ingredients: tomato, mozzarella and basil.

It is believed that it was created in the 1920s as an alternative to pasta and pizza. A fresh and healthy option for the intense Mediterranean heat.

“I prefer heirloom tomatoes for their often fruity taste, and they come in many different sizes and colors,” which match nicely with aromatic basil and rich mozzarella, Montenegro explained.

Simply known as San Marzano – The King of Tomatoes is one of Italy's most popular varieties. It has an intense flavor, thick flesh, and low acidity that make it perfect for creating rich tomato sauces. It is said to have fewer seeds than other varieties, which makes them easier to prepare.

San Marzano: San Marzano tomatoes are considered the gold standard when it comes to Italian tomatoes. They are known for their sweet flavour, low acidity, and dense flesh. They are often used to make sauces, as well as being great for canning.

A DOP Italian tomato that's probably the best known in the world is the San Marzano tomato. San Marzano tomatoes are from the Campania region and are almost always used for tomato sauce, fresh or canned. They are somewhat elongated and have a thick and rich pulp with very few seeds.