Ingredients
450g medley cherry tomatoes
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
110g tub buffalo mozzarella, drained
½ cup basil leaves
BASIL PESTO
2 cups basil, leaves firmly packed, roughly chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
40g pine nuts, toasted, cooled
40g parmesan, finely grated
½ clove garlic, finely grated
120ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Method
-
Quarter large cherry tomatoes and cut medium-sized cherry tomatoes in half, leaving remaining small cherry tomatoes whole. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add vine-ripened tomatoes, onion, oil and vinegar, then season. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow flavours to infuse.
-
Arrange tomato slices on a large platter in a single layer. Top with remaining tomato mixture, reserving bowl juices.
-
Tear mozzarella into small pieces and arrange on top of tomatoes and scatter with basil leaves.
Drizzle reserved bowl juices over salad.
-
For basil pesto, put basil, parsley, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped.
Add oil and pulse until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
What is Caprese salad made of?
Caprese salad is traditionally made up of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil with a dressing of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Many people tend to add other ingredients into their caprese salad, such as red onion and balsamic vinegar for a more robust salad.
Why is it called Caprese?
Caprese salad is named after the island of Capri, located off the Amalfi coast in Italy, where is believed to have originated. The most popular story of origin is it being an homage to the Italian flag colours of red, white and green.
You may also like: