Caprese Salad My Way

I've been making caprese salad for a long time. The regular one that is, with the big slices of juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh salt brined mozzarella (Trader Joe's sells them for a great price), fresh basil, and last but definitely not least, a drizzle of high quality olive oil. This salad has always been a summer favorite for us. In fact, there is nothing better then a big plate of this along with some fresh crusty bread and a good glass of red wine. As an added bonus, this salad is so light and refreshing tasting which makes it the perfect meal on a hot summer's night.

Insalata Caprese (as it is called in Italy), is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania. The dish is also known as Tricolore salad due to it's three colors, which mimic the Italian Flag.

Usually, I make it the way it is supposed to be with the big slices of tomatoes and mozzarella but every once in a while when they are out of season or not very good looking I turn to sweet, juicy grape or cocktail tomatoes. Unfortunately you just can't present this salad with tiny tomatoes they way it is supposed to look so I came up with my version of this classic.

This is always a big hit, no matter if I serve this for the family or when we have guests. I haven't met anyone who didn't love this salad. I hope you will give this a try for your next summer meal.

Caprese Salad My Way

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Ingredients:

Grape or Cocktail Tomatoes, washed and halved or quartered

Red Onion, finely sliced

Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

Fresh Basil, chiffonade cut

Salt and Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

On a platter or in a large bowl add your tomatoes and red onion. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar. Toss lightly.

Layer your cubed mozzarella on top and drizzle with olive oil (again about 2 tablespoons). Scatter your basil chiffonade on top and serve.