If you have been craving caprese salad, this classic version delivers everything you love about the original. No cooking, four ingredients, and the colors of the Italian flag on one platter. It is simple, honest cooking — the kind of dish Italian home cooks have made for generations, and one you can master on the first try.
Why This Recipe Works
Ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and whole basil leaves do the heavy lifting here, so every ingredient has a job. Nothing is complicated and nothing is wasted — caprese salad is proof that a handful of good ingredients beats a long shopping list.
A Note on Ingredients
This caprese salad lives or dies on the tomatoes and the mozzarella di bufala — buy both the same day you serve it. Room temperature, always; the fridge kills the flavor.
How to Make It, Step by Step
Shingle tomato and mozzarella slices with basil leaves across a wide platter. Douse with good olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper, and tuck olives around the edges. That is the whole caprese salad — which is exactly why the ingredients must be perfect.
Tips for the Best Results
- Take the mozzarella out of the fridge an hour ahead.
- Use a flaky sea salt; it crunches on the tomatoes.
- Never add vinegar — oil only, in the true Roman style.
Make Ahead and Storage
Assemble just before serving; leftovers keep a day but weep.
More Italian Recipes to Try
When you are ready for your next Italian project, browse all of our tested recipes or dig into our cooking guides. A great next step is our Pasta alla Caruso — and for the history behind the dish, this overview of caprese salad is worth a read.
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