Caprese Salad

Prep: 10 minutes   |   Cook: None   |   Servings: 4

Caprese is quite possibly the simplest salad you’re going to find. Three basic ingredients that make up the colour of the Italian flag in tomato, mozzarella and basil, topped off with the lightest of seasonings and olive oil. It looks beautiful on the plate and tastes even better! It’s ridiculously simple to prepare, but nonetheless, here’s exactly how you do it. As with all Italian cookery, the key to success is the freshness of the ingredients you’re using, so ensure the tomatoes are nice and ripe, basil and mozarella fresh.
 
INGREDIENTS
  • 4 ripe Tomatoes, on the vine
  • 450g Fresh Mozzarella
  • 1 bunch Fresh Basil
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
  • Coarse Sea Salt
  • Dried Oregano
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
 
METHOD

  1. Wash and slice the tomatoes into roughly ½ cm thick slices. Drain the mozzarella and cut into slices of similar thickness. Finally, pick the basil leaves off their stems.

  2. On four separate plates (or one large platter), start layering alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella in a nice fanned pattern. You can either scatter the basil leaves or add them to the alternative layers if you like, for extra decoration.

  3. Drizzle the plates with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar if you prefer, then sprinkle a little oregano over the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.