Caprese Salad
Heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil.
Maui's an app that plans a whole week of dinners like this one. See how it works ↓
The whole dish lives or dies on tomato quality - peak-season heirlooms or vine-ripened only. Pale winter tomatoes won't get there. If your tomatoes are mid, salt the slices 5 min ahead, let them weep, then pat dry - concentrates the flavor.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 4 servings.
- 2 largeheirloom tomatoesripe, room temp
- 8 ozfresh mozzarella balldrained
- ½ cupfresh basil leavestorn just before serving
- 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oilyour best bottle
- 1 tbspbalsamic glazeoptional drizzle
- ½ tspflaky sea salt
- ¼ tspblack pepperfreshly cracked
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 280calories
- 14gprotein
- 8gcarbs
- 22gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Take tomatoes and mozzarella out of the fridge 30 min before - cold tomato is texturally sad and the cheese tastes flat.
- Tear the basil leaves by hand right before plating (knives bruise them brown).
Slice
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. Slice the mozz into rounds about the same thickness. Try to match the diameter so layers stack neatly.
4 min · hands onLayer
Shingle the tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter, alternating. Tuck torn basil between the layers.
3 min · hands onDress
Drizzle generously with olive oil. Optional balsamic glaze in thin lines. Finish with flaky salt and cracked pepper. Eat within 20 min - this is a fresh-only dish.
1 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Grill 12 shrimp 2 min/side, fan over the top before drizzling oil. Adds about 10 minutes.
Grill 4 slices sourdough 2 min/side, rub with garlic, serve alongside. Adds about 5 minutes.
Use 8 oz burrata torn over the top instead of sliced mozz.
Sub a soft cashew-based mozz; texture is the swap - flavor closely mirrors. Note: cashew-based vegan mozz introduces tree-nuts allergen - verify user can have tree nuts before this swap.
What keeps
Caprese doesn't keep - tomatoes weep, mozz gets watery, basil bruises. Slice and plate within 30 min of eating.
If you must prep ahead, slice tomato and mozz separately, store, and assemble at the table.
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who plans your dinner.
Think of her as a sous chef for your whole table. She plans dinner everyone will look forward to - built around your schedule and working in everyone's taste and dietary restrictions. That's the mental load of dinner, off your plate.
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