Insalata Caprese I

Tomatoes and fresh basil are a classic combination! It doesn't get much better or much simpler that this - it's absolutely delicious! I decreased the onion and I probably could have left it out altogether. I plated this vs. tossing in all in a bowl. Plus, I NEVER chill it, but rather leave it at room temperature. It's so fresh and so good it could be a meal in and of itself! It's perfect with a a side a crusty Italian bread and a good wine. A definite crowd pleaser!

N.J. is known for growing the tastiest tomatoes in the country and we all know never to refrigerate these red beauties, as they will lose their flavor. After combining the ingredients, including garlic, I just let the mixture sit on my counter to absorb all the wonderful flavors. Ten minutes before serving I added the cheese. Thanks so much Kathy for a great side!!!!

So Good!!! Using fresh picked tomatoes and basil from our garden really make this dish. A summer long favorite at lunch or dinner.

Use fresh ingredients...especially the mozzerella, and seed the tomatoes so it's not a wet mess.

This was a great salad. I messed up and got shredded mozzarella without thinking, but it still turned out great! Rave reviews all around!

Very good salad. I only rated a 4 because I changed it up a bit by adding a clove of minced fresh garlic and making the dressing using 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part of the balsamic vinegar. 1/2 balsamic and 1/2 oil makes it very tart and overpowering. Make sure the balsamic is the best you can buy, the older the better, the more syrupy it is, the better. Trader Joe's sells a very nice aged balsamic for less than $10 a bottle.

I wanted add a new italian salad for italian night dinner. My husband and 17 year old daughter loved it. It was so flavorful and zesty. They ended mixing leftovers with lettuce berg. Thanks, it was a hit! Raquel Altavilla

Loved this! Easy Fast and Yummy!

Great, simple recipe - perfect in the Summer with grilled steaks or for a light lunch!

Extremely easy and very tasty. A nice side dish for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Thank you for sharing it.

I only used 1/2 a red onion. Everyone loved it!

Loved this recipe! I was searching for something to do with all the tomatoes from the garden - great idea!

I AM ITALIAN, besides I live near Capri where this salad was created, so I say: DO NOT PUT BALSAMIC VINEGAR!!JUST ADD SOME OREGANO!

Yummy! I made it following the recipe to the letter the first time and it was great. Then I took the advise of other reviewers and didn't refrigerate the tomatoes and it really enhanced the flavors.

I thought it was great - just be sure to use really good quality mozzerella, oil and vinegar (it won't taste as good if you skimp). Also good if it soaks overnight.

Very Easy, Very Quick, Very Healthy and VERY Good! Love it! Also... I used this as my topping for "Fast English Muffin Pizzas" (AR recipe) tonight and it was Amazing as a pizza.

Even though I forgot to add the red onion, this salad is always excellent! Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar are such a winning combination. The key to this is to always use the best, and freshest ingredients you can find!

Loved this recipe! The fresh mozzarella definitely makes the salad tastier. It's worth the extra effort to get it.

Very Easy, Very Quick, Very Healthy and VERY Good! Love it! Also... I used this as my topping for "Fast English Muffin Pizzas" (AR recipe) tonight and it was Amazing as a pizza.

Made this for my daughter's grad party but chopped everything together and let it marinate. It was really pretty and delicious!

Just what I was looking for.

The flavor was great, but I think I'll stick with Bruschetta, it's easier to eat.

Easy and delicious and beautiful to look at! I added about 1/4c water to take the bite out of the balsamic.

Yummy!

YUM. Left out the onion and drizzled the oil and balsamic over top. FRESH BASIL is SO good. :)

Had this every week this summer once we started getting ripe tomatoes, basil and onions from the garden. Sorry that the home grown tomatoes are gone, but will have to buy the cherry tomatoes from the store this winter so we can continue to have this wonderful side dish. Will still have our own dried basil and home grown onions for a few months. This is so easy and so good.

This was ssssoooooooo yummy! So easy, so fresh, and gorgeous! I will be making this over and over again. What a treat! I did not use all of the oil and balsalmic vinegar it called for. 1/3 cup oil seemed like a lot. I used 3 TBS, but I think you could use even less. Great salad!

Very good and best of all very easy!

Wonderful! The traditional sliced, layer salad never quite hits the spot because I like more dressing. This hits the spot exactly. I did seed the tomatoes as suggested and would probably suggest it.

So simple, yet so delicious. What a refreshing and light salad. TFTR!

So simple, and yet fantastic. I reduced the balsamic, and like other reviewers, I served it at room temperature. My husband and I enjoyed it with NY strip steaks. I will absolutely prepare this again.

It's pretty fabulous as is! Wouldn't change a thing!

Perfect! This recipe was just what I was looking for -- delicious, simple, and elegant.

I use cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Great flavor- fresh basil is a must

I've made this a couple of times, and this is excellent. I added some Greek olives as garnish, which was yummy!

Great summer salad. I don't even like tomatos, but the vinegar makes them tasty!

Delish....Had to use shredded Mozzerella, because that is what I had, worked out just fine.

Added sun-dried tomatoes as well.

Simple recipe, few ingredients but looks good and tastes delicious.

Admittedly, I picked this recipe based on a photo. I liked the cut up cherry/grape tomatoes for a "dish-able" side dish. This was delicious. I cubed fresh mozz., halved red & yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped the basil (chiffonade, and thinly slice the onion. I mixed those and then waited until just before travel time (taking dish to a gathering) to add the liquids. I'll definitely make this again. Thanks, katquilter!

These were awesome. Fresh GARDEN tomatoes are a must - the store variety don't cut it. I sliced my tomatoes in thick slices then seasoned them with salt and pepper, topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella and onion then drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze (a little thicker than regular balsamic). Topped with fresh basil thinly sliced into ribbons. Everyone loved them and it was a quick and easy summer appetizer.

We make this salad often but without the onion. Usually we don't even use the olive oil, we just serve it with some really good thick balsamic vinegar. With the tomatoes and basil fresh from our garden, everyone loves it!

This is a wonderful, fresh salad & a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats. I happenened to have a fennel bulb on hand that I wanted to use, so I added it to the salad & it complemented the flavors well.

traditional and delicious - awesome summer dish.

I assembled this in the traditional, sliced way and used a local restaurant's sherry vinaigrette. It was light and a great addition to an Italian meal.

I made this salad for a salad luncheon. I used garden fresh tomatoes. I did not use onion, but did use fresh ground sea salt and pepper along with the fresh basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh mozerella. I had many good compliments and recipe requests.

Super easy and super delicious. I agree w/previous reviewers' posts about using more EVOO and less balsamic vinegar. I used twice as much oil than vinegar. I added about a tbsp. of garlic pepper and a tsp. of sea salt. After sitting overnight, the next day's leftover batch tasted even better! If you have the chance, let it sit overnight.

Great, healthy recipe!

Delicious. Even my two year old loved it!

I make this 2-3 times a week when tomatoes are at their peak. Last night I grated a garlic clove and minced a little red onion. I use my very best olive oil and 10 year old Balsamic, but I never measure. Let it set on the counter while prepping the rest of dinner. I use the little mozzarella boccatini balls available at most groceries and Sam's Club. Seriously good stuff.

I made this without the red onions & it came out great. It's really pretty if you lay it all out on a plate or platter & drizzle the vinegar over it. It reminds me of a salad that the restaurant Johnny Carino's served this summer.

This recipe is simple and classic. The key however, is to have very fresh ingredients. If you don't have very fresh tomatoes, don't bother.

Delicious!!

Quick and easy to assembly, and oh so delicious on those hot summer nights! Served with a crusty garlic clove bread and everyone used the sauce to dip the bread in. Served to some girlfriends and heard lot's of 'yums'.

Delicious. We could eat this every day.

This was fabulous, I took it to a potluck and left with no leftovers and several requests for the recipe.

Made with only fresh mozzarella, sweet onions, caprese tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil. Sprinkled kosher salt on the sliced mozzarella, onions and tomatoes and let them drain several hours (in separate colanders) before combining. Really good.

very fresh and delish tasting

I used small campari tomatoes and bocaccini. I left out the red onion due to personal preference. Beautiful presentation and oh so delicious!

This is a favorite! The better your ingredients are the greater the flavor.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! AS A SALAD. I ALSO ASSEMBLE ON SMALL SKEWERS AND SERVE AS AN APPETIZER.

Wonderful, put on a flat bread or pizza crust and broil to melt the cheese!!Yum! I used smoked mozzarella and it was even better!

YUM! I scaled the recipe down to make enough for 2, so I didn't used all the olive oil and vinegar called for, just to taste. Also, I didn't have red onion, so I used vidalia. Very fresh and delicious! This will be made very often in my house! Thanks for sharing. :)

Sometimes I mix ingredients with cold pasta (usually whole wheat penne) and refridge in container. I grow tomatoes and basil every summer because I make this salad so much!

Easy and delicious. Followed the recipe exactly, and it was wonderful.

A light, tasty side. :) Here in Iowa we have locally grown tomatoes labeled "Graddy's" that really lend themselves well to this dish. Personally, I thought the medley tasted better after chilling in the refrigerator. The fresh mozzarella has a very mild taste and almost spongy texture. :) Oh, and yes, seeding the tomatoes helps.

ONE OF MY MOST FAV RECIPES. EASY AND YUUUUMMMYYYY! EVEN BETTER WHEN YOU AD A TOUCH OF FRESH GARLIC.

I had some extra fresh basil from another recipe this week and was trying to think of what I could make. I didn't want to slice tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil and lay them out in something time consuming and fancy for just us and so I found this recipe. I had some mozzarella in the fridge, but next time I will definitely use fresh mozzarella. i also used grape tomatoes as they were on sale and the dish was delicious. Never had it with balsamic before and it was great.

This is my favorite recipe for this salad. I like to add a handful of Italian seasoned croutons and a dash of rosemary, and I usually skip the salt. Yum!

These are really good! I put fresh minced garlic on mine and make it on a bed of romaine lettuce...I add grilled chicken a lot of times too!

Amazing!! Made this for my hubby for Father's Day alongside some juicy grilled steak and it was delicious! Follow the recipe to the letter.

Great addition to pot-luck picnic for work...added onions but should have marinaded a little longer.

This was really good. So fresh tasting and simple. I served it as a first course with chicken fettuccini alfredo. It was definitely a hit. I'll make it again for sure.

YUMMY! We ate this on Trader Joe's Asiago Cheese w/peppercorn sourdough bread......delicious!

Like a good wine, it tastes better with time. The first night the vinegar taste was a little too much; the next, the liquid had a mellowed sweetness. Sure the tomatoes are mushier, but it still tastes awesome. Definitely serve with bread to sop up sauce.

made this last year, and repeated this year. still good, refreshing and better the next day if there's any left

So simple its perfect. It helps me use up the basil growing on the windowsill in one of the most delicious ways. Love it to pieces.

This was pretty good but the balsamic vinegar was a little too overpowering.

This recipe was a great addition to my homegrown tomatoes and basil. I did use a balsamic reduction and there's nothing like putting those fresh ingredients to work on a tasty treat for me and my girls. I totally forgot to add the onions, but oh well, I will next time. Loved it Loved it!! Will make again.

Yummy! leah

very very good. It is sitting on the counter letting the flavors blend now. Will serve with salmon fillets (left over from last night) and some toasted garlic bread. I have high hopes.

Excellent! So simple and easy to prepare and very eye appealing. Everyone loved this, even my father, who is a real meat and potatoes type of guy. I knew he liked it when he went for seconds! I thought there was a bit too much olive/vinegar mixture, I may reduce that next time but everyone loved dipping their garlic bread it in so it was OK.

Delicious and refreshing. I add cucumbers sometimes as well.

Yum!! Any variation of Insalata Caprese is delicious. I did use a blend of oregano and basil though. Excellent!

PERFECT! I choose to use grape tomatoes just because they're already bite sized.

I make this salad every time I see fresh basil in the store!

Delicious! Just like an Italian Pizzeria we have locally. Just the restaurant here I added some olives to the side. Topped with sea salt & fresh ground pepper. Very tasty!

Fresh mozzarella really does taste great, but if you're not planning on eating all of this in one sitting, you might want to consider using regular mozz. Fresh tends to break down a bit if it sits in the oil and vinegar for a long while.

Fabulous. Full of flavor. You could serve this with just about any meal. Make sure and splurge for the fresh mozzarella.

This was wonderful. I had eaten this at an Italian restaurant and this one is better.

When I can't get good tomatoes, I use cherry or grape tomatoes. Then I cube the cheese.

I thought the flavors to the salad were great, but, I still think I prefer the layered caprese better than having it mixed together. The cheese soaked in the balsamic giving it an unappealing dark brown color. I also think the balsamic flavor overwhelmed the fresh basil. I totally forgot the red onion, but, I am sure it would be great in the salad. Thanks for the recipe, but, I will stick with the simplicity of a traditional Caprese salad next time.

Very good! I left the tomatoes whole sliced as well as the basil.Very delicious and refreshing...thanks!!

I didn't have basil and tried using fresh lettuce. Apparently basil makes all the difference in this. I've had this before with basil and it was great.

Love this recipe, so easy and so flavorful! I put the caprese on top of some spinach leaves to serve as a leafy salad. Everyone loved it!

Everyone liked, but thought there could be more added. Family is just used to different type of antipasta and not very flexible. I thought it was excellent.

Delicious!

Such a basic salad with a really nice taste. I left out the onions because I made it for a bbq and wasn't sure if everyone would love them like me. The mozzarella was expensive, but it is so worth it to buy fresh.

Sometimes I take the onion out when I'm not in the mood. Great with and without.