Caprese Salad: How to Make the Classic Italian Salad

A great Caprese salad needs only five things: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, good extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt. Slice, alternate, season just before serving and skip the balsamic when the tomatoes are at their peak. It takes about 10 minutes.

Insalata Caprese means “salad from Capri,” the island in the Bay of Naples. Its red, white and green echo the Italian flag, and it works as a starter, a side for grilled food or a light lunch. Because there is no cooking and nothing to hide behind, the quality of each ingredient decides the result.

In Northern California, the best time to make it is late summer into early fall, when local tomatoes are at their sweetest. Wine country farmers markets are full of heirlooms then, which is why this is one of our favorite dishes for hosting at home.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a starter)

• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (3 to 4 medium, or a mix of heirlooms)
• 12 to 16 ounces fresh mozzarella (a ball packed in water, or buffalo mozzarella)
• 1 small bunch fresh basil, about 1/3 cup of leaves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze

Step-by-step

1. Bring everything to room temperature. Take the mozzarella out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead. Never refrigerate the tomatoes; cold dulls their flavor and turns the texture mealy.
2. Slice the tomatoes. Use a serrated knife and cut them about 1/4 inch thick. Small tomatoes can be halved or quartered instead.
3. Slice and drain the mozzarella. Cut it 1/4 inch thick and pat the slices dry with a paper towel so the plate does not puddle.
4. Arrange. On a large platter, alternate tomato and mozzarella slices in overlapping rows or a ring. Tuck whole basil leaves between them. Tear large leaves by hand rather than cutting them, which bruises the edges.
5. Season at the last minute. Just before serving, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Salt draws water out of tomatoes, so seasoning early leaves a watery plate.
6. Add balsamic only if you want it. A thin drizzle of glaze is fine with out-of-season tomatoes. Use a light hand.
7. Serve right away with crusty bread to soak up the juices and oil.

Choosing each ingredient

Tomatoes

Choose tomatoes that feel heavy for their size, give slightly when pressed and smell like tomato at the stem. Mixing colors of heirlooms makes a striking platter. Out of season, cherry or cocktail tomatoes usually taste better than large supermarket slicers.

Mozzarella

Use fresh mozzarella sold in liquid. Buffalo mozzarella is richer and tangier. Burrata, a mozzarella shell filled with cream and soft curd, makes a more indulgent version; tear it open in the center of the plate and arrange tomatoes around it. Avoid low-moisture or part-skim mozzarella, the kind used for pizza. It is firmer, saltier and rubbery when raw.

Olive oil

This is a finishing oil, so use the best extra virgin oil you have. California produces excellent olive oil, and many Sonoma and Napa wineries and farms press their own. A fresh, peppery oil from this year’s harvest is ideal.

Basil

Buy it the day you plan to use it, or pick it from the garden. Store stems in a glass of water at room temperature, not in the fridge, where it blackens.

To drizzle or not: balsamic glaze

A classic Caprese from southern Italy uses olive oil and salt, not balsamic. When tomatoes are at their peak, the glaze covers their flavor. In winter or spring, when tomatoes are less sweet, a few drops of thick, aged balsamic or glaze adds the sweetness and acidity they lack. If you use it, apply it in thin lines rather than pooling it, and add it last.

Variations

• Caprese skewers. Thread cherry tomatoes, small mozzarella balls (bocconcini) and basil on toothpicks for a party.
• Stone-fruit Caprese. Swap half the tomatoes for sliced peaches or nectarines in midsummer.
• Caprese with pesto. Thin some pesto with olive oil and drizzle it in place of whole basil.
• Caprese sandwich. Layer the same ingredients on ciabatta with a little oil and salt.

Serving and storing

Caprese is best within an hour of assembly. Food safety guidance says perishable food such as fresh cheese should not sit out more than two hours, or one hour above 90°F, so keep that in mind on a hot patio. Leftovers become watery in the fridge; chop them up and toss with pasta or spread on toast the next day rather than serving them as a salad again.

For wine, a crisp white works best with the acidity of tomatoes: a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry rosé are easy matches, and both are widely made in Sonoma and Napa.

Where to find great tomatoes locally

Our guides to Sonoma County farmers markets, Napa Valley farmers markets and Marin County farmers markets list where to shop. If you are looking for more ideas for a summer table, try our panzanella salad, which uses the same tomatoes and basil, and our sheet pan Sicilian-style pizza.

Questions people ask

Should Caprese salad be served cold?

No. It tastes best at room temperature. Cold mutes the flavor of both tomatoes and mozzarella.

Can I make Caprese salad ahead of time?

Slice the tomatoes and cheese up to an hour ahead and keep them separate. Assemble and season right before serving.

Is balsamic traditional in Caprese?

Not in the classic Italian version, which uses only olive oil, salt and sometimes pepper. Balsamic is a popular American addition and helps when tomatoes are out of season.

What is the difference between mozzarella and burrata?

Burrata is a pouch of mozzarella filled with cream and soft curds. It is richer and softer, and it should be eaten the day you buy it.

Many of our clients come to wine country for exactly this: a garden, a long table outside and food from down the road. If that sounds like the life you are after, explore homes for sale in Sonoma County or talk to our team.

Sources & notes

• FoodSafety.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services): 4 Steps to Food Safety
• Recipe rewritten for this site from our original 2023 version; ingredient amounts carried over.

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.