A delicious salad for cheese lovers. It is also quick and easy to throw together.
Known by the Italian name of Insalata Capresse which is traditionally served as Owen's recipe indicates ~ no balsamic vinegar. The key to this dish is using FRESH ingredients. My family enjoys this salad using JUST picked tomatoes and basil from the garden and fresh mozzarella known as "burrata" which is made in the Puglia region in the south of Italy and is considered an artisanal cheese (the name "burrata" means "buttered" in Italian). Usually you can find buratta in specialty food stores... The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture and is usually served fresh, at room temperature. I serve this with a splash of GOOD balsamic vinegar with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with a fresh crusty loaf of bread and a bottle of Rose or Viognier which are fruity wines that pair well with this disn and one is in heaven.
Read MoreThis was OK, but really no flavors. I make a vinagrette for it. 3T olive oil, 1-1/2 T red wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic pressed. Mixed together and pour over the dish. Then I added some fresh parmesan on top.
Read MoreKnown by the Italian name of Insalata Capresse which is traditionally served as Owen's recipe indicates ~ no balsamic vinegar. The key to this dish is using FRESH ingredients. My family enjoys this salad using JUST picked tomatoes and basil from the garden and fresh mozzarella known as "burrata" which is made in the Puglia region in the south of Italy and is considered an artisanal cheese (the name "burrata" means "buttered" in Italian). Usually you can find buratta in specialty food stores... The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture and is usually served fresh, at room temperature. I serve this with a splash of GOOD balsamic vinegar with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with a fresh crusty loaf of bread and a bottle of Rose or Viognier which are fruity wines that pair well with this disn and one is in heaven.
You simply *MUST* use FRESH mozzarella cheese to fully appreciate this recipe. I can't even imagine it with the bland, hard stuff you find in the dairy case at grocery stores. Fresh mozzarella is a bit difficult to find but it's worth the effort. Try specialty stores. I like to slice fresh tomatoes, sprinkle with sea salt, add torn pieces of fresh basil, then the mozzarella. Drizzle all with a good quality extra virgin olive oil combined with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Ate some style of this salad daily when visiting Italy. Simplify even more by using fresh Roma tomatoes for the best flavor and basil infused EVOO...simply put some fresh leaves of basil into an empty salad dressing bottle, pour your favorite EVOO into the bottle and it will taste delicious within hours. A nice healthy summer salad.
Although this is called "Owens Mozzarella and Tomato Salad" most people are familiar w/ the name Tomato Caprese. We served this w/ basil pesto on the side. Will post a picture.
I did something a bit different with this recipe and it worked well. I diced the tomotoes and cubed the cheese. Served it in a bowl like a salad. Everyone loved it. Will make it again and again.
Call it "Owen's Salad" or call it by it's more traditional name "Insalata Caprese" - I call it just plain GOOD! Tomato and basil are a classic combination and when paired with fresh mozzarella you have something so simple and so delicious you could make a meal out of this all by itself! I like to add a bit of sea salt along with fresh cracked black pepper. I NEVER refridgerate this and if you want to add a bit of pizzaz add a splash of good quality balsamic - perfect served with Italian bread and a nice wine!
Also known as insalata caprese. Definitely throw in some balsamic vinegar and fresh cracked black pepper. Use the best quality olive oil you can.
A beautiful salad when you can get summer ripe tomatoes! Use fresh mozzarella for the best texture. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over everything as well.
My friend made this for a club gathering and there were a lot of weird looks (you don't see mozzerella sliced too often) but after they were told what it was and ventured to try it it was gone quick. The tomatoes and cheese REALLY compliment eachother. Easy appetizer!
The perfect summertime side dish! A great way to use those delicious New Jersey tomatoes, too. As a previous reviewer wrote, you MUST use fresh mozzarella cheese (not the "plastic ball" of cheese from the dairy case). And it is also important to use a good olive oil. Topped off with fresh basil from my herb garden and we are set for a wonderful meal.
Great basic recipe. I skipped the oil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar instead. Lower calories, and just as tasty.
This was OK, but really no flavors. I make a vinagrette for it. 3T olive oil, 1-1/2 T red wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic pressed. Mixed together and pour over the dish. Then I added some fresh parmesan on top.
We thought this was so simple in concept and in preparation but the flavour was so pure. Wonderful start to a meal!
OK - this is totally one of my favorite salads. I used cherry tomatoes instead of regular because I bought a hugh box of them at Costco. They are just the right size and they "pop" in your mouth. I also added some balsamic vinegar to the olive oil and tossed this with gourmet salad greens. I know I've changed the recipe around a little, but it did not affect the overall flavor of this recipe. Thankx Dell. PS. I see the "police" have removed part of my review.
Try reducing the basalmic vinegar by half. Heat basalmic vinegar in a small skillet over medium / low heat until thick (almost like honey). It removes the acid taste and makes a wonderful drizzle for your salad!
One of my favorite salads. I did add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes at the end for extra flavor. Great!
great, simple recipe that tastes wonderful and fresh. i didn't have any whole mozzarella on hand so i put lots of shredded mozzarella on top of the tomato slices and then broiled it for a few minutes until melted and slightly browned. added the fresh basil and it was done! i also drizzled balsamic vinegar on the tomato slices along with the olive oil and pepper. very tasty and perfect with an italian-style meal!!
This is a very fresh and extremely easy salad. It was excellent. I do agree with the other reviewer who said to add balsamic vinegar, it makes it yummier. I highly recommend this for a quick and delicious salad!
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Cancun, and they served a wonderful salad exactly like Owen's. Simple, elegant, and delicious!
I made this recipe for 50 people and served it before my special lasagna recipe. I didn't know how it would go but took a chance because it's so easy to make.....well they loved it!!!! Gotta keep this one in the file for a future date. Thanks!
To use what I had on hand (which right now is a million cherry tomatoes from the garden!)I made this with shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes. I tossed it all together and served it in bowls. This is a great combination of flavors, and I plan to make it again this coming weekend for company!
This recipe is simple but with fresh tomatoes, basil, and a good cheese, it is very flavourful.
This is so delicious it's hard to believe how simple it is. The only changes I make are to slice the tomatoes really thickly instead of finely, to use salt as well as pepper, and to drizzle a bit of really good balsamic vinegar on it. Amazingly good. With this recipe, it's the little things that make all the difference: fresh mozzarella or bocconcini, good quality olive oil (and balsamic if you're using it), nice ripe tomatoes, and fresh ground pepper (I like mine ground really chunky). Delicious!
I really LOVE this! They were out of fresh basil at the grocery, so I had to use dried, which is not as flavorful, but it still tasted great.Added a splash of balsamic vinegar to mine, delish!!
we love caprese salad....I mix the EVOO with balsamic ving. and drizzle over the plate. fresh mozarrella is a MUST, the processed bricks wont work! You can skewer cherry tomatoes and cubed mozzarella marinated in the oil/blasamic/basil and serve as appetizers
This was ok, it was a little too bland for me. If I make it again I will add salt and garlic.
This is a classic caprese salad. I'm not sure what Owen invented in all this! Lots of ways to make it better: Make sure you use fresh mozarella. The best is buffalo mozzarella. Bocconcini are also fun to use. Make sure you use good sea salt of kosher salt. Fleur de sel is great if you can find it. Finally, only use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for dressings. If you want to liven it up a bit, try a bit of dried oregano. Better yet, a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar or vin cotto.
It tasted great and looked great. Prepared it on a serving platter for a buffet rather than individual plates.
This tastes good and is very easy to make. I made sure I used a quality olive oil and fresh mozzarella. I also added 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar as others suggested.
This is simply a Caprese salad without the balsamic vinegar. Add some and make sure you use fresh mozzarella and then you will have a good, traditional Italian salad. On it's own this salad is bland, albeit still tasty.
This is so simple, but the flavor combination is amazing. It tastes best at room temperature.
This hit the spot. You can make one tomato or several. I sliced moz. but I wonder if you could use shredded? Easy to make.
Wow, this was amazingly good. The fresh mozzarella *makes* this dish! I've made it a couple of times, and added a bit of tarragon vinegar to the salad the second time around. It's delicious either way. Definitely on my list for when I want to make something simple, yet hearty and appetizing. A "must-not-miss".
I found the Mozzarella and Tomato Salad to be a bit bland in comparison to the ones I've had in the past. It was good, but not delicious.
made this at a friends house when my child and I were invited to dinner. Not only did all the adults love it, my son couldn't get enough either!
Delicious. Instead of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, I added a balsamic vinagrette to mine after I layered my tomoatoes and mozzarella. Once the balsamic vinagrette was on I sprinkled fresh basil over the top. It was great.
I always add a touch of basalmic vingar, and I cut the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into chunks. One of my "go to" recipes during the summer.
Definitely add a splash of good balsamic vinegar and everyone is right, only fresh mozzarella! So simple, and so delicious! You'll never want any other tomato salad after tasting this!
Thanks for posting this recipe. Went out and got all the ingredients and can't wait to serve them tonight! Took the advice of others and sprinkled some balsamic vinegar over the top.
This was really good. Especially with ripe tomatoes in the summer. I did add some dressing though.
This was great. I suggest the use of fresh mozzerella, I doubt the shredded tastes as good. I also used more basil and garlic flavored olive oil.
Very good! I drizzled balsamic vinegar on top of the fresh mozzarella, added a little fresh cracked pepper along with the kosher salt. It was a tasty salad/appetizer.
I served it on a platter for a buffet picnic. It was so pretty and was a great way to use the tomatoes at the height of the season. I love this so much I could've eaten the whole tray myself!!! Lots of compliments
This was good. Will definitely add this the family's meal rotation. The quality of the cheese is the key.
Heavenly when made with quality, fresh ingredients. Sprinkle with some coarse sea salt before serving. Also, I sometimes chop the basil leaves into thin strips (but they never look quite as good because they bruise).
I used cherry tomatoes cut in half. Overall it was a very fresh, clean taste. I would add a bit more salt next time, though. The fresh basil was so wonderful.
I have had a better version of this. I feel like something is missing from this recipe. Not sure what . . .
I love this salad...I ate this all summer long. The only thing I added was balsamic vinegar...Excellent!!
This is a great recipe. I have had this a number of times and it's just fantastic for a warm spring or summers day.
Added balsamic vinegar, thinly sliced red onion and a sprinkling of salt. So good I have had it for lunch two days in a row!
This was so wonderful Dell! I sliced my tomato's in one bowl, added salt and pepper, about three large cloves of minced garlic and drizzled with the evoo. I covered and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours so the salt could get the juices flowing and the flavors could meld. Just before dinner I then added the basil and fresh mozarella. Tomato's shouldn't be refrigerated as they can lose their flavor. Everyone loved this and thank you!
We served this at a family picnic and it was a big hit. We brought the ingrediants seperate and put it together at the picnic. Everyone really enjoyed this salad.
This was very good but I did need to add some dressing to it. That is more my preference though and does not reflect on this recipe. My hubby scarfed it down!
Good! I used a little balsamic vinegar in mine and chopped my tomatoes and mozzarella into cubes.
I cannot believe how good this is! Extremely easy to put together, this is ideal for a prepare ahead salad. For best results, you must use fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.
Great salad. I also cubed the cheese and tomatoes. I added sliced green olives into it for an extra flavor. Loved it!
Nice simple recipe - perfect for a light summer meal. I use fresh mozzarella and add thinly sliced onions to the layers. Then top with pesto and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar is a must!! Personally I would skip the cracked pepper and just sprinkle seasoned salt. The tomatoes you choose really impact the entire dish. I love those small tomatoes on the vine from Costco, which is also where I get the mozzarella. Also, I prefer the salad at room temperature, so I would definitely serve it immediately. Easy and delicious!
This was good. Used roma tomatoes, diced into chunks and fresh mozzarella. Added freshly chopped garlic and a splash of red wine vinegar. It's important to let it "blend" for a couple of hours on the countertop. Delicious!
I love this recipe. I added lemon, salt, and sprinkled dried basil in addition to fresh basil. I also find the with a recipe like this, I never measure, I think it makes it more complicated. But it is really delicious.
Very good, simple, fresh salad. I added some minced garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It was a hit at the last dinner party! Even better with fresh tomatoes from the garden!
I haven't given this a rating because my not caring for the flavor is a matter of personal taste. I find I just don't care for mozzarella this way.
Sensational as is, but I like to turn this into an appetizer. Thinly slice a baguette on the bias, brush with olive oil, and toast. Rub one side of the toasted baguette with a clove of garlic (the toasted baguette will act like sandpaper to the garlic). Start off with a slice of prosciutto, then the tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with the basil. A single crank of fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, finishes it off Will likely be one of the best things you ever put in your mouth. Fresh is key, use garden basil and tomato when possible.
So fresh and delicious. I made this during the summer with fresh tomatoes from our garden. I also added a splash or two of balsamic vinegar. Yum!
Buffalo mozzarella is a little more expensive, but worth it by far. Fresh tomatoes and cheese at room temperature works best for us. salt and balsamic vinegar is a must. Just outstanding!! Pairs well with Mediterranian style dishes and a nice glass of White Sangria for agreat summertime,dinner!
Mmmmm. One of my favorite basic salads. I don't refrigerate mine, though. I let it sit at room temp 10-20 minutes before serving. I could eat this everyday.
I took this dish to a church barbecue, there weren't any leftovers, everyone seemed to really like it. I personally thought this salad tasted terrible, but because I'm pregnant , I currently do not like the taste of olive oil.
Love this recipe! I make a full dinner out of it by adding diced chicken and serving it on top of salad greens. Excellent!
I mix a bit of Balsamic vinegar with the EVVO, it adds a different tangy zip to it. Panera Bread does it this way. Made some 2 nights ago, using some fresh yellow tomatoes and basil out of my garden. Oh, so good. Had some left over and put some on top of cottage cheese for lunch yesterday.
Excellent salad! Even my husband loved it. I had to use part of an 8oz block of mozzarella cheese... I can only imagine how delicious it would be with fresh cheese.
I added a splash of italian spices into the olive oil and placed the above on baguettes... Fiance decided to just eat this for dinner! Light and but filling
made for girls weekend, even the non-tomato ladies loved this salad. I would add balsamic for a little more flavor next time!
It definitely needed balsamic to give it a bit more flavor. I ate this with whole wheat crackers as lunch one day. Very good.
I got beat out- I gave it a 5 star, but 2 people gave it 4. They didn't think it needed the mozzarella at all. But, it is still a very good recipe overall, with great flavor. We didn't use fresh cheese because the store didn't have any at the time. We left it sit out for the 1/2 hour instead, to let the flavors blend better. I think it's better then having it cold. But, will definitely make again...
This is a great Summer dish. I took it to a pot luck at work and they all thought it was great. One co-worker even said she was "moving in" because I always bring "fancy things." Uh, ok? I never thought this salad as being fancy, but I guess it's all about presentation. I used olive oil that already had basil in it, so it was very easy. I think Roma tomatoes are just the right size for this dish.
I like this combination but for a crowd I like to use grape tomatoes cut in half and cube the cheese in small pieces. Add a little salt and toss w/ the basil/basalmic vingergrette so that everyone can take some on their plate. Had a dinner party and they loved it this way.
This was just what I was looking for. I would have added balsamic, but hubby doesn't care for it. Also, I had fresh basil and cut it a little too large. So make sure that you use fresh mozz. cheese. Next time, I'll add a little salt as the fresh cheese is missing it.
GOOD I t just seems like a different way to put on a plate. I did add a touch of basil pesto and balsamic.
