Caprese Salad

This tomato Caprese Salad recipe is a quick and easy summer salad to pull together. It’s made with Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella balls and fresh basil all tossed in a tasty red wine vinaigrette. 

This Caprese Salad is a great summer salad to serve with grilled chicken and fish and lots of warm crusty bread. 

This recipe for caprese salad comes together in a pinch. We start out by whisking together the ingredients for the dressing, then we slice some tomatoes and then toss them together with mozzarella, Parmesan, olives and fresh tender basil leaves in your favorite serving platter or bowl.

Tomato Caprese Salad Recipe

When making this salad we usually plan on serving one or two Roma tomatoes (depending on the size) and a couple of cherry tomatoes per person. 

• Tomatoes. We use a mix of Roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes for this salad. We like to use Roma tomatoes for this salad because they are a heartier tomato and won’t break down and become soggy from the dressing like garden tomatoes oftentimes do. And the cherry tomatoes add a sweetness to this salad. 
• Cheese. We use fresh Mozzarella cherry size balls (“Ciliegine Cheese”) for this salad. I like to tear them in half so they make smaller bites. We also sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese in this salad for good measure.
• Olives. We add kalamata olives to this salad which adds a nice salty flavor to the mix.
• Herbs. Use fresh young tender basil leaves for this salad. Smaller leaves are more delicate and tender to eat while the larger leaves can be a little tougher to chew. If you have to use bigger leaves, then slices them into ribbons to scatter in the salad. 
• Seasoning. We season this salad with a little salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Vinaigrette. We use this red wine vinaigrette to drizzle over the tomatoes. It has all the flavors of a good Italian restaurant house salad and it’s one of my favorite dressings. You could also use this Balsamic Vinaigrette,  Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette, Italian Dressing or this simple Lemon Olive Oil Dressing.

Find recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Tomato Caprese Salad

• Make Dressing. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. You can also toss everything in a mason jar and give it a good shake, or add everything in a blender and pulse a few times.
• Slice Tomatoes. Slice the Roma tomatoes in half if they are on the small side and into quarters if they are large tomatoes. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. We alway plan on 1-2 Roma tomatoes per person and 2-3 cherry tomatoes per person. 
• Assemble Salad.  Arrange the tomatoes in a deep platter or shallow bowl.  Distribute the mozzarella balls and kalamata olives throughout the tomatoes. Drizzle the dressing over the tomatoes, then give them a sprikle the Parmesan cheese throughout the salad. Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, scatter  the tender basil leaves over the tomatoes.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead Of Time?

It’s best to slice the tomatoes the day you plan on serving this salad. You can make the dressing a day or two in advance, but you’ll need to remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you can drizzle it over the tomatoes. The olive oil in the dressing may solidify in the refrigerator and will need a bit of time to liquify again before you can use it. 

How To Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, the salad will last a day or two.  You can also use any leftover Roma tomatoes from this salad to make these Oven Roasted Tomatoes. 

Plum Tomatoes vs Roma

There are 3 main varieties of Plum tomatoes – Grape (which are similar to cherry tomatoes), San Marzano (also oval shaped and mostly produced in San Marzano, Italy) and Roma. So, Roma tomatoes are actually a variety of Plum tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are the most popular type of Plum tomatoes, and “Roma tomatoes” and “Plum tomatoes” are often used interchangeably at grocery stores.

How Many Roma Tomatoes in a Pound

If you’re making a recipe that calls for 1 pound of Roma (or plum) tomatoes, you’ll need about 4 large Roma tomatoes or 8 small.

How to Choose the Roma Tomatoes

Look for plump, heavy tomatoes with smooth skins free of wrinkles, dark spots or cracks. Fully ripe tomatoes are softer and will give a little to the touch. You only want to buy fully ripe tomatoes if you’re planning on using them right away

How Long Do Roma Tomatoes Last?

There’s no precise answer to this, because it depends on how ripe they are when you buy them, how you store them and whether you refrigerate them or not. Typically they will last on the counter for up to 7 days, but keep them away from direct sunlight. Fully ripe tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two, but if you keep them there any longer,  you will have a watered down, mealy and mostly tasteless tomato on your hands.  Don’t put them unripe in the refrigerator because this will stop the ripening process.

Looking For More Summer Salad Recipes?

• Berry Arugula Salad
• Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad
• Watermelon Arugula Quinoa Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Chopped Kale Salad
• Italian Salad
• Lemon Kale Salad
• Mango Arugula Quinoa Salad
• Herbed Red Potato Salad (no mayo)

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Yield: 8 Servings

Caprese Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

This Caprese Salad recipe is a quick and easy summer salad to pull together. It's made with Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella balls and fresh basil all tossed in the best red wine vinaigrette. 

Ingredients

• 8 large Roma tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup Mozzarella balls
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil leaves

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. You can also toss everything in a mason jar and give it a good shake, or add everything in a blender and pulse a few times.
2. Slice the Roma tomatoes in half if they are on the small side and into quarters if they are large. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Plan on 1-2 tomatoes per person and 2-3 cherry tomatoes per person.
3. Arrange the tomatoes in a deep platter or shallow bowl.  Distribute the mozzarella balls and Kalamata olives throughout the tomatoes. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the salad. Just before serving, scatter the tender basil leaves over the tomatoes.

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette

1. Whisk the ingredients (except Parmesan cheese) together in a bowl or add ingredients to a mason jar, seal the lid and shake vigorously to blend well. Whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese.
2. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed mason jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. You will need to let the mason jar sit at room temperature for a few minutes before using though because the olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridg

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 341mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.