TABELIA

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN RECIPE

Authentic Caprese Salad

Authentic Caprese Salad
Difficulty★☆☆☆☆ Prep10 min Cook0 min servings2

The simple Capri antipasto of mozzarella, tomato and basil, its colours echoing the Italian flag. With only five ingredients, everything depends on how ripe and fresh they are.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • Buffalo mozzarella250 g
  • Ripe tomatoes2
  • Fresh basil10
  • Extra virgin olive oil30 ml
  • Sea salt1 pinch

Method

15 min

Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes

Slice the buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes to the same thickness, about 1cm.

23 min

Arrange the salad

Alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella on a plate, tucking basil leaves between them.

31 min

Dress and finish

Traditionally no balsamic vinegar is used. Drizzle olive oil generously over the tomato and mozzarella and finish with a pinch of salt.

About this dish

Named for the island of Capri overlooking the blue sea, this salad seems to lift southern Italy’s sun and rich soil straight onto the plate. Mozzarella’s white, tomato’s red, basil’s green — because the three colours match the Italian flag, Caprese is sometimes called “the edible flag.”

Its exact origin is debated, but the leading theory says it was invented at a hotel on Capri in the 1920s or ’30s, to entertain visiting royalty and diplomats. It spread alongside tourism during Italy’s postwar recovery and is now recognised worldwide as a symbol of Italian cooking.

With its simple line-up of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomato, freshly picked basil and extra-virgin olive oil, nothing is cooked or processed at all — the ingredients go straight onto the plate exactly as they are.

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