Heirloom Caprese Salad

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A classic Heirloom Caprese Salad is always a great way to kick off a meal. It’s always the ‘go-to’ order at a nice restaurant when it’s on a menu. There’s something special about the combination of ingredients that makes this Salad such a great way to kick off a meal. The combination of flavors of Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese, and Basil is so classic, and loved universally all around the world. Add to that some delicious Olive Oil and Balsamic and you’ve got a simply delicious tasting Salad to enjoy

Good quality ingredients make all the different in this dish

For such a simple salad with so few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients is really what is important in this dish. Good quality ingredients will turn an ok Salad into a phenomenal Salad, so it’s up to you on how far you want to take this dish

Good quality Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, and Mozzarella Cheese are what will make this dish special. The star of the show is, of course, those delicious Tomatoes. Using Tomatoes when they are at the height of their seasonality (which is generally around the Summertime) will result in the most immense flavor possible

Of course, you don’t need to wait until summer to make this salad. The way crops are produced these days not only can you get your hands on all kinds of fruit and vegetables all year around, but they are also produced in great quality at all times of the year

Heirloom Tomatoes are the only choice for the best quality Caprese Salad

These truly are the king of Tomatoes. Well, when it comes to Tomatoes that are prepared and served raw that is. The flavor that Heirloom Tomatoes brings to a dish is immense. Rich, luscious Tomato flavor. It’s got that typical acidic flavor you come to expect when eating raw tomatoes yet has a touch of sweetness to it. When ripe, they are beautifully juicy, and make for great eating in a salad

Heirloom Tomatoes are funny looking things too. They almost look like little mini pumpkins, with their gnarled-looking skin. They come in a variety of colors too, the most common being Red, Dark Red (almost Burgundy in color), Green, and Yellow

Unlike M&Ms, each different color of Heirloom Tomato has it’s own unique flavor profile. We recommend buying an assortment of different colored Tomatoes for your Heirloom Caprese Salad. Not only will it look beautiful on the plate, but you can try the different flavors and see which you prefer

The Yellow and Green colored Tomatoes are a little bit more bitter, with a sharper flavor. The Red Tomatoes are more on the sweeter side. Regardless of what color(s) you end up going for, so long as they’re ripe, they will all taste phenomenal

We recommend using a good quality Balsamic Vinegar Glaze for a rich, luxurious finish to the Heirloom Caprese Salad

A typical Caprese Salad is finished with a thin layer of Balsamic Vinegar that is lightly poured over the top of the dish. If you can find it, we recommend using a Balsamic Glaze, which is a concentrated version of Balsamic Vinegar

The Balsamic Glaze is a lot thicker than Balsamic Vinegar, and a lot richer. The flavor it packs is mighty and adds a lovely sweetness to the Salad. You don’t need to use a lot of it however. We’d recommend no more than 1 tsp. in total for every 1 lb. of Tomatoes being used. The flavor is so rich that you don’t want it overpowering the subtle flavors of the Salad

Regular Balsamic Vinegar is fine too and has far less intensity of flavor. If you’re using regular Balsamic you can add about 5x the volume as Balsamic Glaze for the optimal ratio on the salad

Whether you’re using Vinegar or a Glaze, we always recommend trying to source the highest quality ingredients you can find. The same goes for Olive Oil. Now, how to identify ‘high quality’ Oils and Vinegars is perhaps a little bit more challenging:

Just because a product costs more on the shelf, doesn’t necessarily mean it is always going to be better quality. Good quality is defined by what you enjoy, not by what a sticker price dictates. All we can suggest is to try a few different Oils and Vinegars in your food travels. Once you’ve found a couple that you like, buy a bottle and save it for special dishes such as this one

Heirloom Caprese Salad is a great appetizer, here’s some main courses to pair it with

The classic way to enjoy a Caprese Salad is as an appetizer. It’s a nice way to kick off a meal with fresh, light flavors that can get your taste buds going. We recommend whipping up this wonderful salad to start a meal, or to have as a side dish for your main course. There are so many different dishes that will pair well with this Salad that you really can’t go wrong

If you are looking for some delicious dishes to pair with your awesome Heirloom Caprese Salad that you’ve just made, then here’s a few of our recommendations:

• Pan Fried Chicken Schnitzel
• Braised Lamb Shanks with Grits
• Air Fryer Pork Belly
• Garlic Butter Shrimp with Paprika
  
  

You can always make the Salad in advance then store it in the fridge for up to a few hours before dinnertime. Just plate it all nicely and cover with cling film before refrigerating. This will keep the color and texture of your salad intact, allowing for plenty of time to make the main course

Heirloom Caprese Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Heirloom Tomatoes
• 140g / 5 oz. Buffalo Mozzarella Ball
• ¼ cup of Basil leaves
• 2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Wash the Tomatoes well before slicing into even pieces. We recommend slicing the Tomatoes adjacent to the green stem of the Tomato for the best presentation
2. Cut your Mozzarella Ball into slices of similar thickness to the Tomato slices. Arrange your serving plate by placing alternating slices of Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese in a circular shape, with the pieces slightly overlapping each other
3. Tear off individual Basil Leaves and place them on top of the Salad. We recommend about 1 Basil Leaf per Tomato and Mozzarella Piece. So, if you’ve plated 10 pieces of Tomato and 10 pieces of Mozzarella, add 10 Basil Leaves
4. Dress the Salad by shaking Olive Oil over the top, ensuring a good, even distribution. Add droplets of Balsamic Glaze (not too much as it is very powerful). Sprinkle with Salt and then it’s ready to serve
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can replace the Balsamic Glaze with regular Balsamic Vinegar. If doing so, you can use more Vinegar than the glaze quantities outlined in the recipes as the flavor is nowhere near as concentrated
• You can prepare the Heirloom Caprese Salad in advance and store it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Simply plate it, then cover with cling film and refrigerate
  
  

Yep, it’s such an easy Salad to make! We hope you enjoy making this tasty Heirloom Caprese Salad. If you like this recipe then you’ll want to check out some of our favorite Fruit and Vegetable Appetizers. Here’s a few of our favorites:

• Spicy Kale Chips
• Candied Walnuts
• Simple Brussel Sprout Salad
• Tomato Strawberry Burrata Salad
  
  

Happy Cooking!