An Unforgettable Summer Caprese Salad

Nothing screams summer more than a caprese salad with ripe juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella cheese, and homemade basil pesto! Here are some hints for making a unique and unforgettable tomato-mozzarella salad that’s sure to become a favorite in your house when summer arrives!

My unforgettable caprese salad with slow-roasted tomatoes and homemade basil pesto

A caprese salad, in its simplest form, is made of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and finished with sea salt and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. You can make this delicious salad year-round of course, but the best time for enjoying this delicacy is when tomatoes are in season, from June to September. Making this salad is a breeze, but I have some hints for turning a good caprese salad into a great one. And, I have even more tips for putting this salad over the top and into the unforgettable category!

Here are my tips for transitioning a traditional caprese salad from simply good to great:

• Use heirloom tomatoes. These unique fruits are “open-pollinated true breeding tomato plants” (think single varieties of grapes that have a long lineage and are bred each year using seeds from the previous year). They are best in late summer (Aug – Sep) and while they are more expensive than traditional tomatoes like beefsteak and Roma tomatoes, they are also packed with more flavor and come in multitudes of colors and shapes that make them perfect for a “platter salad”.

• Use water packed fresh mozzarella. While the plastic wrapped bricks of fresh mozzarella are perfectly fine for pizza and other dishes where melted mozzarella is called for, water packed mozzarella is better for caprese salad. Not only does it have a higher water content, giving it a much softer and buttery texture, it has a more delicate and subtle flavor. Just make sure to dry it off with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before you slice it for the salad.

• Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil as a finishing oil. I know it might sound crazy to spend $25 or $30 on a bottle of EVOO but trust me – you won’t regret it. If you use this exclusively as a finishing oil, it will last a long time and you will be able to experience the true complexity and beauty of these unique and premium oils.

Now, if you want to make a caprese salad that’s over the top and falls into the unforgettable territory, here are a few more tips:

• Drizzle the salad with some fresh pesto. Adding pesto amps up the fresh summer flavors and ensures that bright, fresh basil flavors are part of every bite. Store bought pesto is fine, but homemade basil is so easy to make that I’d encourage you to go that route!

• Add a layer of roasted tomatoes for an intense tomato flavor. Slow-roasting cherry tomatoes brings out all of that great tomato flavor and intensifies it as well. If you can find vine-on cherry tomatoes, even better – it makes a visually stunning addition to the salad!

• Use an aged balsamic vinegar in addition to a high quality EVOO to finish the salad. Again, aged balsamic vinegars (and by aged, I mean ones that are from Moderna and that have been aged for at least 10 years) will set you back some dollars, but they have an intense sweet flavor and a syrupy consistency which pairs perfectly with the EVOO, the acidity of the tomatoes, and the saltiness of the fresh mozzarella. A little bit goes a long way, so just a small drizzle on top will do the job!

Here's my recipe for over-the-top and unforgettable summer caprese salad, but you can also choose to make the simply good or great version as well by omitting the options above – either way, you won’t be sorry!

Summer Caprese Salad (Serves 6-8)

This summer tomato and mozzarella salad brings together all of the best ingredients of the season for a savory and flavorful salad that smells and tastes like summer! The basic version of this salad includes tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, and olive oil. But adding homemade pesto, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, and aged balsamic vinegar takes this salad to the next level and is definitely worth the extra work! Serve with a nice French rose from the Provence or Rhone regions.

Ingredients

6 medium-to-large heirloom tomatoes in various shapes and colors, sliced ¼-inch thick

2 8-oz. balls fresh mozzarella, packed in water (we like BUF mozzarella the best)

1 recipe basil pesto (see below for recipe)

1 recipe roasted cherry tomatoes (see below for recipe)

2 tsp. Maldon Sea salt flakes, plus more for finishing (you can use kosher salt if you can’t find Maldon Sea salt)

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (our favorite is Gianfranco Becchina Olio Verde, about $34 for 16.9 oz.)

Aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling (our favorite is Cucina & Amore Aceto Balsamico De Moderna, about $35 for 8.5 oz.)

Directions

Place the sliced tomatoes in a single layer on a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with the sea salt – let sit for 30 minutes. Dry the fresh mozzarella in paper towels and then slice into ¼-inch thick slices – set aside.

Blot the tops of the tomatoes with paper towels to dry. Place the tomatoes on a large serving platter in a single layer, overlapping the tomato slices slightly and alternating the colors of the tomatoes. Spoon the pesto in small dollops over the tomatoes (you will have pesto left over – use it for pizza or another pasta dish).

Top the tomatoes with the fresh mozzarella, making sure each tomato slice has some mozzarella on top of it. Scatter a few whole basil leaves on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella. Top the mozzarella with the vine-on roasted cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with the EVOO and aged balsamic (use just a drizzle of each – a little of both goes a long way!). Top with a pinch or two of Maldon Sea salt.

Homemade Basil Pesto (Makes about 1 cup)

This quick-and-easy homemade pesto can be made in less than 15 minutes. Toasting the pine nuts adds a nice depth of flavor – just place nuts in a pan over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until pine nuts start to brown. Then, put everything into a food processor and you are done! This pesto is great with pasta, and on pizza as well!

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse about 10 times until fully integrated. With processor running, slowly add the olive oil until fully incorporated. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. If not using immediately, store covered in a refrigerator until ready to use.

Slow-Roasted Vine-On Cherry Tomatoes (Serves 6-8)

These slow-roasted cherry tomatoes pack a big punch! While they take a while to roast, it’s definitely worth the wait! The tomatoes become highly concentrated in flavor and are perfect atop a caprese salad to add texture and depth of flavor, in a tomato topped bruschetta, or simply popping into your mouth and eating on their own!

Ingredients

1 lb. small cherry tomatoes, stems attached

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees with rack in the middle position. Place a wire rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on the rack. Brush the tomatoes with the EVOO and then sprinkle with the salt and pepper to coat. Roast the tomatoes until the skins start to shrivel but before they burst, about 1 ½ hours. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.