Easy Caprese Salad Recipe is made with three ingredients: tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves. I wanted to make this salad with a blood orange vinaigrette dressing, although it is usually dressed in balsamic vinaigrette.
Origin of the Caprese Salad:
The tricolor Caprese Salad is a tribute to the Italian flag and is quite easy to make. The story from the 1920s goes that its creator was a stonemason who in a fit of patriotism created this salad. The mason used traditional Italian ingredients: white mozzarella, red vine ripe tomatoes, and green basil.
While it became a perennial summer salad, it gained worldwide acclamation in the 1950s. Egyptian King Farouk, while on vacation, ordered his chef for a light salad. By the way, King Farouk is also credited with converting this salad into a sandwich. While it seems that the Isle of Capri is its birthplace, it is more generally attributed to the southern Italian province of Campania.
This light, refreshing salad is such a welcome on a balmy Mediterranean afternoon. Not only is it cooling but is also a celebration of fresh, unprocessed, unrefined flavors. While many use the grape-based balsamic vinaigrette to add dimension, I prefer to use an orange-based vinaigrette. Inspired by the orange tree-lined roads of Sorrento and the Amalfi coast, I chose to make the orange vinaigrette.
Blood orange vinaigrette:
In this recipe, I used a blood orange to make the vinaigrette, which I get from my garden. I find that the blood orange is less tangy than other oranges. Blood orange has a floral bouquet that adds to the aroma of this simple salad. I planted a small blood orange tree beside my other citrus fruit trees. They appear to be more finnicky to grow than my other citrus. Therefore, I use those prized few blood oranges sparingly. One of the ways I chose to use them is to make the vinaigrette described below.
This Easy Caprese Salad’s recipe has humble origins. My most memorable rendition of this dish was in the Baltic, at Tallinn in Estonia. This enchanting town had a vibrant city center basked by stone-cobbled streets. In the middle of this ancient city was an Italian restaurant which served the best Caprese Salad I have ever had. The secret, as described by the owner, was the farm fresh ingredients that were available in summer.
Reminiscing on our meal and the friendliness of the Estonians inspired me to make this salad. This Caprese Salad is my own creation and has become a family favorite during the summer months. It so easy and simple to make that my kids prepare it themselves. They have enjoyed the idea of picking fresh tomatoes and basil from our garden and making this salad right away.
As we wind down to fall, this tricolor salad always makes me feel like it is summer. This salad can be served with my Pasta With Cauliflower and Peas and my Minestrone Soup With Breadsticks as an appetizer!
How to make the Easy Caprese Salad using my recipe:
- How to make the blood orange vinaigrette:
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2. How to make the Easy Caprese Salad:
- Slice the cheese and the tomato and remove the stalks of the basil leaves.
- Place a slice of the mozzarella on top of a slice of tomato. Garnish with a basil leaf and drizzle the blood orange vinaigrette.
1. What are some of the other dressings that can be used for this salad?
More commonly, the balsamic vinaigrette is used for the Caprese Salad. I created my own vinaigrette using ingredients from my garden. You could also use vinaigrettes made with lemon, limes or oranges. They taste just as good as the balsamic vinaigrette.
2. What are the other kinds of cheese for this salad?
Fresh mozzarella slices are used for this salad rather than any other cheese varieties.
Easy Caprese Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Caprese Salad:
- 1 mozzarella ball fresh, sliced
- a few basil leaves
- 1 red tomato heirloom, sliced
For the Blood Orange Vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp blood orange juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp pink salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly milled
Instructions
How to make the blood orange vinaigrette:
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.
How to assemble the Caprese Salad:
- Slice the tomato and the mozzarella cheese and remove the stalks of the basil.
- Place a slice of mozzarella on top of a tomato slice. Garnish with a basil leaf and drizzle the blood orange vinaigrette.
Notes
- Balsamic vinaigrette is used more commonly for the dressing.
- If serving the salad individually, then I place the cheese, tomato, and the basil on top as the slice of cheese makes it a sturdier base for consumption.
Nutrition
When I tried this recipe at our family gathering, my relatives could not get enough! The use of blood orange is ingenious! Thanks Kanchan!
love the blood orange vinaigrette! so simple and delicious!
Thanks, Kendra!