Caprese Salad

The end of summer is pure euphoria for tomato lovers — it’s when you’ll find plump, sweet-smelling tomatoes in a stunning array of shapes, sizes, and bright colors at the farmers market that are begging to be toted home and devoured. Because they’re so darn scrumptious on their own, the best summer tomato recipes let the tomato take center stage — which is where this easy caprese salad comes in.

All we’ve added is a fresh mozzarella, fragrant fresh basil, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a spoonful of balsamic glaze, and a shower of flaky sea salt to help draw out the sweet tomato juices. Here’s how to make it.

• Ripe tomatoes are the stars of summer season. A ripe, juicy, perfectly imperfect mid-August heirloom is so vastly superior to the sad, mealy, flavorless supermarket tomato you’ll find come December. Your friends who claim they despise raw tomatoes? Feed them one in August and they’ll likely change their minds.
• It’s so incredibly simple and quick. There’s no reason it can’t be on your table tonight.

• Heirloom tomatoes: Most often I grab a variety of heirlooms from the farmers market. Cherokee Purple or Green Zebra are both delicious, and I love the way each heirloom has its own distinct personality.
• Beefsteak tomatoes: Big, bright red beefsteaks are good contenders.
• Smaller tomato varieties: You can also make a caprese with smaller tomato varieties, such as plum, Roma, cherry, grape, or Sungold. If you go that route, tear the mozzarella into smaller pieces so that every bite strikes the right balance of flavors.

I strongly recommend saving the caprese experience for summertime (it makes it that much more special when tomato season rolls around), but you can make a caprese salad at any time of year. If a craving strikes in mid-March, let’s say, be sure to follow these instructions for picking the best supermarket tomato.

• They should smell fragrant. Choose fragrant ones that smell earthy at the stem end.
• They should feel heavy. Pick the tomatoes up; they should feel heavy for their size.
• Look for smooth tomatoes. Avoid any with wrinkled skins.

Although balsamic vinegar in any form isn’t used in a classic Italian caprese, I’d argue balsamic glaze more than deserves its place in this salad. You can either follow our easy 1-ingredient recipe for balsamic glaze, or pick up a bottle at the store.

• It’s tangy and sweet. When cooked down to a thick, syrupy glaze, balsamic vinegar becomes deliciously tangy and sweet, adding extra oomph to every bite.
• It’s easy to drizzle. While vinegar straight from the bottle will pool around the tomatoes and make them soggy, a thick glaze can be drizzled with intention, dressed perfectly to your liking.

1. Place the tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter in an alternating pattern.
2. Top with the basil leaves. Scatter the basil leaves over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
3. Season with flaky salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky salt and several grinds of black pepper, to taste.
4. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic glaze. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic glaze over the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Serve immediately.

• Tomato & Mozzarella Caprese Skewers
• Cucumber Caprese Salad
• Grilled Eggplant Caprese
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Caprese Sandwich

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