Caprese salad makes me think of an unforgettable summer vacation my husband and I took to Santa Margherita, Italy. I have memories of sitting at the quaint little restaurant overlooking the water at our hotel in beautiful Portofino while eating our caprese and enjoying a glass of wine. Oh how I would love to be back there now. I mean, the food and wine in Italy is some of the best I’ve ever had. Caprese is a basic salad served all over Italy. We even had a caprese sandwich at the train station one afternoon and it was the most delicious thing ever. I really don’t think there is anything better than beautifully ripened summer heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil? This amazingly simple salad is so easy to make and you can really elevate the flavor by making the simple balsamic reduction glaze to drizzle over the top.
- 2 heirloom tomatoes
- ¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp good quality olive oil (we use basil infused for this recipe)
- 1 package quality mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbspn fresh basil - chopped or thinly sliced
- salt and cracked pepper to taste
- In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar over medium until thickened and coats back of spoon - it will be like syrup - set aside to cool
- Slice heirloom tomatoes into thick round pieces
- Slice mozzarella cheese into thick round pieces
- Arrange tomatoes and cheese on serving platter, top with chopped fresh basil. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and olive oil
- Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper