Caprese salad (a.k.a. Insalata Caprese or “salad from Capri”) is a classic, crowd-pleasing appetizer, side dish, or light lunch that’s as refreshing as it is easy to prepare. The recipe originated in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo for lunchtime regulars—they’d simply order a ripe tomato picked off the vine, which would be served with fresh fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella, as buffalo weren’t found on Capri). On the island, the salad evolved to include a few leaves of wild arugula and a pinch of local dried wild oregano, but everywhere else in Italy, basil is tradition.
For this classic caprese salad recipe, it’s imperative that you use the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on: Thick slices of tomato (heirloom, please) at the peak of their season and which have never been refrigerated; milky fresh mozzarella cheese; fragrant basil leaves swiped from your backyard or your closest farmers market; and your best bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Another piece of advice: Keep it simple. Pesto? Save it for another night. Balsamic glaze? No thanks. The vinegar would drown out the delicate flavors of the cheese. Ideally eaten in the shade, overlooking the sea (or, okay, on your patio), this classic Italian summer salad is a balm of a dish on any blistering day.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in ‘Red, White, and Greens,’ and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004.
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