Authentic Italian Caprese Salad for a Summer Dinner
Are you seeking ideas for authentic Italian cuisine for your next dinner with friends? Consider a simple Caprese Salad, one of the best Italian antipasto dishes for an Italian summer dinner. Ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil are dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a nut-less pesto vinaigrette.
The Caprese salad, is one of Italy’s most internationally recognized dishes. The legend is that the salad was first created in the early 20th century on the Isle of Capri. The island is just off the coast of southern Italy near Naples.
The Caprese salad was made for a patriotic cause to represent the colors of the Italian flag. The red of tomatoes, the white of mozzarella, and the green of fresh basil leaves are featured.
Insalata Caprese, translates to Capri Salad in English. It gained further popularity during the 1950s. This was when Capri became a favorite destination for Hollywood movie stars and the international jet setters.
When I’m planning a dinner with my friends, I have found that everyone really loves Italian food. Additionally, it is easy and many of the dishes can be prepared ahead of time.
If you have a garden or a wonderful farmer’s market nearby, feature the fresh produce at your summer dinner. If your guests are like mine, everyone will be thrilled.
I like to start the dinner with an antipasto, it is the essence of Italian summer cuisine. One of my favorite antipasto dishes is a Caprese salad. It includes layers of sliced vine ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. It is drizzled with Italian extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. If topped with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, so much the better.
Another way to serve the dish is to make it look like a tomato sandwich. I like to dress it with a light homemade nut-less pesto vinaigrette. Either way, your guests will enjoy one of summer’s favorite vegetables paired with soft fresh mozzarella cheese.
Tomato and mozzarella “Insalata Caprese” with grilled zucchini and garlicky red peppers.
I usually serve the Caprese salad as part of an antipasto buffet. It can be presented on a large platter as a centerpiece on the buffet table. Alternatively, it can be served on individual plates.
I also like to add platters of simple grilled marinated vegetables like zucchini and garlicky red peppers. They add color, flavor, texture and complement each other well. Of course, I always serve the antipasto with crusty bread to soak up all the flavorful juices and olive oil.
These examples that I have given only take minutes to prepare. They look beautiful on a plate and have an amazing flavor. Remember, Italian food is always about quality ingredients, simply prepared.
If you are serving wine with your dinner, you should pair the antipasto with a crisp white wine. It should stand up to the acidity of the tomatoes. I believe that it should also complement the rich and creamy Mozzarella cheese.
There really is no recipe needed for a Caprese Salad but I’ll share how I like to prepare it. Because the salad is so simple, you must use the finest quality ingredients. That is what makes a Caprese salad so appealing.
- Start with perfectly vine ripened tomatoes. When I had my garden, I liked to use heirloom tomatoes for the ultimate taste. Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Black Krim were my favorite varieties. Any other flavorful meaty, ripe tomatoes would be great for this salad.
- Use the best quality fresh mozzarella available. Look for the milky balls of mozzarella that are packed in brine. Avoid vacuum sealed balls, which can sometimes be rubbery.
- Use freshly picked fragrant basil leaves, if possible. I personally like the large leaves of Genovese basil that are a deep emerald green.
- Finally, use the best quality Italian extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over the salad. All of these ingredients are easy to find.
- Do not make this dish ahead of time and refrigerate. If you refrigerate it, you’ll compromise the taste and texture of the ingredients,
To make the Caprese salad extra special, I like to top it with a dollop of homemade pesto. Pesto is really easy to make. Basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese are the usual ingredients. If you look on the internet for pesto recipes you will find recipes using different herbs, nuts, oils and cheeses. I believe that pesto is like a blank canvas…paint your own picture using what you have on hand.
Some people can have a nut allergy. In that case, you can make a nut-less pesto vinaigrette. It can be used to dress the salad as well as the grilled vegetables.
Nut-less Pesto Vinaigrette
- A large handful of fresh basil leaves, preferably Genovese
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
- juice from 1/2 fresh lime or lemon
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese or Locatelli Romano cheese
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place all the ingredients in a mini processor and pulse until blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Fast, simple and great flavor for a summer meal.
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If you like authentic Italian cuisine, a Caprese salad is a great choice for an antipasto. It isn’t too big or too filing and I’m sure it will please your guests. I think it is a delightful and refreshing starter for a summer dinner with friends.
That’s a favourite summer salad! Love those heirloom tomatoes.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Perfecto! Right now my basil from the garden is abundant and tomatoes beautifully.
A perfect susmmer salad when everything is so fresh! I am fondly reminded of our long trip touring Italy – we never “jetted” over to Capri but enjoyed the museums in Naples, the Amalfi coast, Sorrento – a beautiful country everyone should visit 🙂
Karen, this is a favorite of mine and it is beauty on a plate! I love growing basil for pesto. Thanks so much for sharing!
That’s quite a coincidence, my next post will be peston, but not with basil. Your presentation of the Caprese Salad is beautiful! I used to do it at the last Spanish restaurant I worked in, with smoked mozzarella and I singed the whole lot with a blow torch before serving. I’ve got some beautiful Italian Costulto Fiorentino tomatoes just ripening.
Caprese salad is the perfect summer side with farm/home grown tomatoes. Always beautiful, always delicious!
I love all versions of this salad though my absolute favorite is the simplest and most authentic: tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and the best olive oil. A touch of salt. Perfection!
Nice looking version of this Italian classic.
This salad is a classic for a reason. Any version of it is always great, but, of course, it is at its best with ripe summer tomatoes.
How delicious! Perfect for summer. I agree with you, simple dishes like this one need the best of ingredients to make them shine. It’s amazing how different olive oils taste, for example.
Dear Karen, your photos of the Insalata Caprese look simply tempting. I often make a version of this dish in the summer, but without the pesto – which I think is a very good idea. And I often use pumpkin seed oil instead of olive oil – I love it because of its nutty taste, and it’s healthy and goes perfectly with the ingredients. (It’s probably not available all over the world, but it’s a specialty in our country.)
All the best from Austria and have a nice weekend, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/08/weltreise-2024-neuseeland-sudinsel.html
MMmm, making pesto vinagrette as soon as I get some lettuce. Where do you get mozzarella?
Your Caprese Salad looks so delicious! I love meals like that and you’re right—it’s perfect for summer! 🙂
Yoir photos make me hungry Karen! 😉 We have found vegan alternatives for this delicious meal – tofu replaces the mozzarella and I make pesto without cheese that non-vegans love too. Perfect for these hot summer days when cooking is simply not an option. Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful presentation! It looks delicious. I’m saving this recipe. Thank you, Karen! 💖
Like you I am eating my weight in fresh, yummy tomatoes.
Gorgeous. I often have this for a light lunch.
it is a lovely and fresh dish to eat. I do like pine nuts in my pesto tho :=)
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
A refreshing summer salad that we eat a lot of when the tomatoes ripen in the garden.
Your presentation is beautiful.
Beautiful! I didn’t know about the Italian flag!
Such a beautiful presentation Karen! Sounds summer perfect!
Jenna
Nice images!
Nothing beats a caprese salad with juicy summer tomatoes, nothing!
It’s one my favorites for a warm summer day.
Those tomatoes look amazing! I am busy working on a recipe using the Caprese as inspiration for ravioli 🙂
Looks delicious, and it’s been a great tomato season here this year.
These simple salads are the best. I have to try the pesto vinaigrette you made.
Caprese is an epitome to a perfect summer salad to me – so few ingredients, but the flavour is nothing short of terrific! Beautifully styled, too.
Delicious and beautiful.
What a beautiful salad, Karen. It hits all the right buttons for my tastes, certainly true!
My ‘go to’ for company meals during the summer. Actually, it’s my ‘go to’ whenever I see beautiful tomatoes.
There is literally nothing that drives me crazier than a caprese salad on the menu in the winter! The tomatoes here are just awful, so mealy and no flavour. I’ve had variations with oven roasted tomatoes in winter which are a far cry better than raw in the winter. Now is the time to take advantage of the gorgeous summer tomatoes and yours look incredible. I don’t think I’ve had a caprese with balsamic, the Italians usually just dress it in a wonderfully flavourful olive oil, but it’s a neat idea.
Wow – what a fresh salad – a classic made marvelous by awesome produce!
We could make a meal out of this any day- so fresh and naturally sweet with the in season heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil . The perfect summer salad. Healthy World Cuisine.
Your Caprese Salad post perfectly captures the simplicity and elegance of this classic Italian dish!
When tomatoes are in season and fresh from either our garden or reputable farmers’ markets, this is our go-to summer salad. All of your tips are so helpful! The color of your tomatoes is so exceptionally vivid! Mmmm!
Salute and ching ching!
Roz
I think caprese salads single handedly made me like tomatoes (sauce doesn’t count.) so I have to try this one!!
Ooh so delicious, Karen! Love the presentation. 💖