Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze

This fabulous salad is a summer classic. It showcases perfectly ripe tomatoes and the abundance of basil available at this time of the year. The balsamic glaze adds a extra special flavor to this perfect summer dish.
Servings 4 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 large tomatoes Ripe and tasty
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 8 large basil leaves
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Make the balsamic Glaze

  • Place the 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small, heavy sauce pan
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vinegar has reduced by half and becomes thick and syrupy in texture
  • Place into a bowl to cool - I learned this one the hard way. If the vinegar is left in the hot pan, it can thicken into a kind of sludge rather than a lovely glaze. If that happens, toss it and start over
  • Store in a jar or bottle. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. I use this glaze on chicken, steak and burgers - it adds great flavor. (The KilKenney Kitchen owl loves it too!)

Make the Caprese salad

  • Grab some fresh basil - I have a small pot growing outside the kitchen - easy and quick
  • Wash and dry the basil
  • Place 8 large basil leaves on top of each other
  • Roll them like a cigar and chop the bunch into 5 or 6 pieces
  • This technique is called a chiffonade and results in beautiful strips of basil to go atop the salad
  • Grab your fresh mozzarella. You will find this at most large grocery stores in the specialty cheese section. (Most come in 8 oz balls, so I used half for this recipe and saved half for later)
  • Cut the fresh mozzarella into 8 even pieces
  • Slice the tomatoes into 8 slices and place the mozzarella pieces on top of the tomatoes (Oops - I just realized there are only 6 slices here! I made this one for 3 people the other night!)
  • Sprinkle the chiffonade basil strips onto the tomatoes and mozzarella - spreading them out evenly, sprinkle with salt
  • Drizzle the salad with a bit of extra virgin olive oil
  • Add a good drizzle of the balsamic glaze
  • Serve with your favorite grilled meats or fish and enjoy!
Course: Appetizer, Salad
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