Caprese salad is one of the hallmarks of Italian cuisine. At first glance, there is nothing complicated in its preparation. Tomatoes, cheese, basil, a little vegetable oil - that’s all for a short time. But this is only at first glance. If you want you to get exactly “Caprese” and not “Shopsky” or “Greek” salad, read our article. The secret of the dish is not only in the ingredients. The order of the products in the Caprese salad is also important. The classic recipe - with a photo - describes in detail the whole process. It is important to remember that “caprese” from Italian translates as “caprice”. And therefore, in the homeland of the salad, it is customary to experiment with it. The "three whales" dishes - tomatoes, mozzarella and basil - remain unchanged. Everything else is up to you. However, it should be remembered that the presence of neither meat nor fish is allowed in the Caprese. This salad is dietary and almost vegetarian.
Choosing Products
As with all dishes, in Caprese, the end result depends on the quality of the ingredients. Therefore, let's pay more attention to what we will use to make the salad. First of all, the saturating part is cheese. Its type - mozzarella - is presented in our stores in many guises. Classic Caprese salad recipe involves the use of cheese made from black buffalo milk. They began to grow in Italy from the sixteenth century. Another famous cheese, mascarpone, is also made from buffalo milk. And if you have the opportunity, look for Mozzarella di Bufala. If not, choose cheese from cow's milk, bypassing smoked varieties and giving preference to medium-sized heads. As for tomatoes, the classic recipe uses a bull’s heart. But ordinary Kherson ones will do. The main thing is that they are unpaved. Basil is better to take green. Extra virgin olive oil with light bitterness.
Caprese salad: classic recipe
There is another etymology of the name of the dish. The salad comes from the island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. This, according to the canons of the Italian feast, is an antipasti, that is, an appetizer that is served before hot dishes. Therefore, it should not only whet the appetite with its own taste, but also entertain the eyes. The classic “Caprese” salad recipe suggests placing the dish in the colors of the Italian flag. Therefore, we do not mix the ingredients together for variegation, but lay out green basil, white mozzarella and red tomatoes nearby. Since this is not a salad in the strict sense of the word, but an appetizer, it is permissible to string all three ingredients on a skewer, like a kebab. But then mozzarella should be in the form of small balls. Kebabs are placed on a dish, pour olive oil. Or we cut tomatoes and mozzarella into identical circles. We put a little overlap on the edge of a beautiful flat plate. And in the middle of the dish we place tender crispy basil leaves.
Caprese Salad: Pesto Recipe
And now we will give free rein to creative imagination and go about our culinary whims. This recipe, by the way, is very popular in Italy and has also become a classic. Pesto is not a component, but, like olive oil, sauce. It is sold in large supermarkets in a wide range. But you can make pesto yourself. To make Caprese salad dressing, the recipe requires you to take this set of products: a bunch of parsley and green basil, three cloves of garlic, a handful of pine nuts, parmesan, grated with small chips, and olive oil. All this must be ground in a mortar. But if you use a blender, nothing bad will happen. Next, prepare a salad according to the classic recipe. The only difference is that we grease the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves with pesto sauce.
With balsamic vinegar
The classic “Caprese” salad recipe, being strict with a set of basic products, nevertheless gives room for imagination regarding dressing and decoration. You can not completely cut the meaty tomato. Let's make “pockets” in his side, into which we stuff mozzarella slices. And at the foot of such a tomato, lay out the basil leaves. For piquancy, you can spice up such an appetizer with a simple “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” appetizer. Italian housewives without fail keep at home various flavored types of oil. Cooking them is not so difficult. We heat olive oil to 40 degrees, dip some flavors there. For example, a sprig of rosemary. You can fill the salad with such olive oil. And you can apply balsamic vinegar. For the sauce, you need to mix one teaspoon of it with 50 grams of extra virgin olive oil.
With arugula and oregano
First, make a dressing from balsamic vinegar, as indicated in the previous recipe. We sort out the leaves of arugula, wash it, dry it with a napkin and pour it over this sauce. Rubbing with a dressing and a plate in which we will serve the Italian salad "Caprese". The recipe tells us to further spread on the edge of the dish mugs of tomatoes and mozzarella. In the middle of the plate we place the arugula soaked in the dressing. Salt the salad. And then for a number of tomatoes and cheese we drip Pesto sauce. Garnish with basil and oregano leaves. Allowed to use this last spice in dried form. In this case, sprinkle oregano salad and salt.
Bell pepper antipasti
An appetizer can also be made not in the form of a salad. For example, submit it in boats of bell pepper. We clean it from the stalks and seeds, wash, cut into halves. Pour a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Leave it to soften for ten minutes. Then we heat the fat on the grill, shake the peppers from the marinade and fry them to slightly burnt edges. Next, we cut the tomatoes and mozzarella in the way the classic Caprese salad recipe prescribes. We install tomato and cheese mugs on pepper boats. For stability, you can use a skewer. Sprinkle appetizer with grated Parmesan. Garnish with a basil leaf and pour over the marinade (a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar).
Original Caprese
We also include fresh figs in the list of ingredients. It needs to be taken the same amount as tomatoes. Cut tomatoes, figs and Mozzarella cheese into circles of the same thickness. We cover the salad dish with the arugula washed and dried on a napkin. We lay tomatoes, figs, mozzarella on this green litter in a beautiful alternation. Preparing a gas station in advance. Pour five tablespoons of olive oil into a jar with a lid. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to it. Next, pour three teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and a slightly smaller amount of honey. We twist the lid and shake the jar vigorously until its contents become homogeneous. Water the salad with this dressing. Top three parmesan and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Caprese with Cherry
Mankind has brought out small tomatoes as if specially for the preparation of this antipaste. And for the same purpose, they began to produce mini mozzarella - a few balls in a package. The same size of cheese and tomatoes allows us to create a Caprese cocktail or buffet salad with cherry tomatoes. The recipe offers us to take eight tomatoes and the same number of mozzarella balls. Serve the dish in two ways. The first is a classic salad. Cherry wash, dry and cut into halves. And leave the cheese balls whole. Two branches of basil free from the stem. Lay the leaves nicely between the tomatoes and cheese. Sprinkle the salad with olive oil. Salt and sprinkle with dry Italian herbs. The second option is in the form of a snack. Everything is simple here. Pull the mozzarella balls out of the brine and place in olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar and dried herbs. On a skewer we lower a tomato and cheese. Place such kebabs on a dish laden with salad. You can grease skewers with pesto sauce.
With parsley and dill
Two fleshy tomatoes and 2 balls of mozzarella cut in equal circles. Onion shred rings. My basil, dried, tear off the leaves. We spread all the listed ingredients of the classic “Caprese” beautifully on a plate. Sprinkle with onion rings. We are preparing salad dressing. Cut finely in half a bunch of dill and parsley. Cut into a few feathers of green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste, season with half a teaspoon of granulated sugar. Now put this greens in a mortar (or bowl of a blender). Pour in one hundred grams of olive oil and a tablespoon of vinegar (preferably balsamic). Grind everything to the consistency of liquid sauce. Water the dressing.