How to Make Italian Caprese Salad (l'insalata Caprese)

Where Does Caprese Salad Come From?

The original Caprese salad comes from the Campagna region of Italy. You'll find some of the best pizza, lemons, cherries, tomatoes, and mozzarella in this region which includes the cities of Naples, Capri, Sorrento, and the rest of the Amalfi coast.

This is where Limoncello, the famous San Marzano tomato, and Pizza come from, and like much of Italy,  it's a place where you want to eat whatever they're serving. 

Caprese salad originated in 1920 at Hotel Quisisana on an evening when a special dinner had been organized for the poet, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (founder and author of the Futurist Manifesto). 

What's in a Caprese Salad?

Marinetti was known to criticize the traditional Neopolitan cuisine saying it was too fatty and too fried, so the restaurateur wanted to impress the poet by giving him something light and tasty (and it worked). 

"L'Insalata Caprese" was born. Marinetti apparently loved the caprese salad (as did the rest of Capri and all of Italy and the world eventually).  The original Caprese Salad consists of sweet vine-ripened tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and a sprinkling of oregano.

You'll often find it in the States and other countries served with a little balsamic vinegar, but you won't find it in Italy served this way.  The great thing about making your own at home is that you get to decide how you want to eat it. 

Italian Caprese Salad (l'insalata Caprese) Ingredients

Buy the best ingredients available because in a salad with so few ingredients, there's no room to hide. Each component really matters. If you have fresh tomatoes coming out of the garden, use them -- they taste amazing. 

How to Make Caprese Salad (l'insalata Caprese) With Grape or Cherry Tomatoes

1. Arrange a bed of sliced tomatoes on a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
2. Place sliced mozzarella on top, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
3. Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the tops of the mozzarella and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving to allow the tomatoes to release their juices and for the mozzarella to release a little of its milk and the flavors to meld together.  Enjoy as a light lunch with bread, or an appetizer to share before dinner, or for aperitvo with a glass of good bubbly or Pinot Grigio.

How to Make Caprese Salad (l'insalata Caprese) With San Marzano or Other Large Tomatoes

1. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into similar sizes. 
2. Starting with a tomato, arrang it on a serving platter, add a slice of mozzarella but make sure you can still see the tomato behinde it. Repeat with the remaining tomato and mozzarella slices.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste.
4. Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the tops of the mozzarella and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving to allow the tomatoes to release their juices and for the mozzarella to release a little of its milk and allow the flavors to meld together.  Enjoy as a light lunch with bread, or an appetizer to share before dinner, or for aperitvo with a glass of good bubbly or Pinot Grigio.

Making Caprese salad wherever you are in the world

In Chengdu, Sichuan (China) Metro Cash and Carry sells frozen fresh balls of mozzarella, and while the quality doesn't compare to what's available here, I can't tell you how many times I made a simple Caprese salad out of it when I was missing Italy and Italian food.

And in NYC and all across the States, there are tons of places to buy excellent, freshly made, or imported Mozzarella.  You can even learn how to make your own.  I used to volunteer for the cheese-making and cheese education classes at Murray's Cheese in Greenwich Village.

It's an iconic NYC institution and offers amazing cheeses from all over the world.  In fact, some of the best cheeses I've had outside of Europe have come from Murray's and Essex Street Cheese, and they both deliver to you wherever you are in the country if you happen to be a cheese-lover.

Looking for More Easy Italian Recipes?

If you're looking for a few other ideas for your next Italian dinner inspiration, here are a few of our favorites. Some are super quick and easy, while others take a little more time to pull off, but are worth it.

Below, Italian vending machines in our neighborhood selling fresh mozzarella balls, Grana Padano, ricotta, stracciatella, mascarpone, and more. We're never far from great cheese.