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Italian · Mediterranean

Insalata caprese

Vegetarian

Ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella layered with basil and dressed simply with good olive oil and salt — a summer salad that lives or dies by its ingredients.

Insalata caprese is an Italian salad from Italy, ready in about 10 minutes and made with tomato, mozzarella and basil. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Appetizing Caprese salad with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil on a wooden board.
Photo: Shameel mukkath / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Total
10 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
299

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Take the mozzarella (opens in a new tab) out of the fridge 20–30 minutes ahead so both it and the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) are at room temperature. Drain the mozzarella and pat it dry.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    With a sharp knife, slice the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and mozzarella (opens in a new tab) about 1 cm thick, catching the tomato juices.

  3. Step 3

    Arrange alternating, overlapping slices of tomato (opens in a new tab) and mozzarella (opens in a new tab) on a platter, tucking whole basil (opens in a new tab) leaves between them.

    • 3 min

  4. Step 4

    Season with salt and pepper (opens in a new tab), drizzle generously with olive oil (opens in a new tab), sprinkle with oregano (opens in a new tab) if using, and serve straight away.

    • 2 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Campania (Capri), Italy · Commonly attributedMore food from Italy
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Appetizers & starters
Cooking method
No-cook, Raw
Taste
fresh, creamy, herby
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Minimal cleanup
Cook more with
Tomato · Mozzarella · Basil

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom mozzarella

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

299 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 195 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 8%
  • Fat 72%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy299 kcal153 kcal
Protein15 g7.7 g
Carbohydrate6.3 g3.2 g
Net carbohydrate4.8 g2.5 g
Sugars3.2 g1.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.5 g0.8 g
Fat24.2 g12.4 g
Saturated fat10.1 g5.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol49 mg25 mg
Sodium601 mg308 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
340 mg
Calcium
332 mg
Iron
0.7 mg
Magnesium
27 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
168 µg
Vitamin C
17 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
1.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
24 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: dried oregano.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Only make this when tomatoes are truly ripe and full of flavour.
  • Never refrigerate the tomatoes — it dulls their taste.

Common mistakes

  • Drowning it in balsamic reduction, which overpowers the delicate cheese.

Serve with

  • Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Storage

  • Best eaten within an hour of assembling.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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