For those of you who love Caprese salad, this is a unique seasonal take on one of our favorite Italian summer salads. It’s delicious and takes five minutes to pull it together and looks really pretty when it’s assembled. Plums are a great substitute for tomatoes if you’re craving Caprese salad, but the tomatoes in your area aren’t yet in season or you’re just looking for a little inspiration for that creamy milky ball of fresh mozzarella in your fridge.
What is Caprese Salad?
Below, Caprese salad comes from Italy and is often served layered with slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella (or “fior di latte” a cow’s milk mozzarella) and seasonal tomatoes. It’s drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and topped with a few (usually very large) fresh basil leaves. The further south you go, you may find it with oregano sprinkled on it as well. It’s simple and delicious, and it couldn’t be easier to make. Back home in the States, Caprese salad is often drizzled with balsamic vinegar, but I’ve yet to see it served that way in Italy. I suggest eating it the way you enjoy it.
Caprese Salad Inspiration
Below are typical Caprese salads I make at home. We love tomatoes and I love extra so I usually pile them on. During the winter and spring months, I like to use the “dolcissimo” Datterino (sweet) grape tomatoes but you can use any grape tomato variety you can find. I like grape tomatoes because they tend to be sweeter than hothouse, cherry, or other types of tomatoes available this time of year when tomatoes are not in season.
Why We Love This Unique Caprese Salad
- Seasonal plums give a tart, sweet balance to the creamy mozzarella much like tomatoes
- Plums are a great substitute for tomatoes when tomatoes are not in season
- It takes 5 minutes to make
- It’s delicious
The first time I ate Caprese salad in Italy, it was one of the best-tasting and simplest things I’d ever eaten. It was layered with slices of sweet perfectly vine-ripened tomatoes, creamy fresh slices of mozzarella, drizzled with a healthy glug of olive oil, and topped with fresh basil, and sea salt. I’ve eaten a lot of Caprese salads since then, but we mostly enjoy them at home because they’re so easy to make.
Plum Crazy Caprese Salad Ingredients
- red plums
- yellow plums
- fresh buffalo or cow’s milk mozzarella
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh basil leaves
- sea salt
How to Make a Plum Crazy Caprese Salad
- Arrange slices of plum and mozzarella on a platter alternating slices, add a few leaves of fresh basil to the tops, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy as a light lunch, an appetizer, or for aperitvo.
Looking for More Salad Recipes?
Below are a few easy, wholesome salad recipes you may also enjoy.
- Best Ever Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (w/Homemade Caesar Dressing & Parmesan Croutons)
- Summer Starburst Vinaigrette (a favorite salad dressing)
- Lazy Day Refrigerator Salad (w/crispsy fried shallots, avocado, eggs, and sunflower seeds)
- Mediterranean Pigtail Pasta Salad with Shrimp (Featuring Sautéed Vegetables + Fresh Mozzarella)
- sHow to Make Italian Caprese Salad (l’insalata Caprese)
Italian vending machines are the best
We have a “latteria” store in our neighborhood. This is one of several local milk and dairy producers here and they have a brick-and-mortar store down the street from us. Just outside of the shop they have a built-in vending machine filled with, fresh mozzarella balls, ricotta cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago DOP, mascarpone, butter, milk, yogurt, a few fresh tramezzini (sandwiches), some sweet desserts, and more. So, even if we’re low on groceries, a Caprese salad is never really far out of reach.
Caprese Salad tips + tricks + FAQ’s
- When was the Caprese Salad invented? The Caprese Salad originated in Capri, Italy, and is thought to have originated by a man wanting to pay homage to his country by creating a salad that would reflect the colors of and pay homage to the Italian Flag. Another story of how the Caprese Salad is thought to have originated is to appease the palates of vacationing Royalty and politicians when visiting the island of Capri.
- When was the Caprese Salad first made? The first record of Caprese Salad being in written form comes from the early 1920’s when it first appeared on the menu of Hotel Quisisana, but with the numerous tourists that take over Capri, Italy each year it was inevitable that this delicious salad would go global and be so loved that you can find it on menus throughout the world today.
- What ingredients are in a Caprese Salad? Fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, olive oil, and sea salt.
- When do you eat a Caprese Salad? You can eat a Caprese Salad any time of day, but in Italy, it’s not usually eaten as a side, but rather as an antipasto (appetizer), or as a light full meal on its own.
- Is Caprese Salad served cold or at room temperature? Caprese is typically served at room temperature which allows for the juice from the salted tomatoes, the milk from the mozzarella, and the olive oil to all blend and co-mingle. Waiting 5-10 minutes to serve a Caprese Salad once it’s been plated, allows for all the flavors to enhance and balance one another and for the basil to perfume everything.
- Is Caprese Salad Healthy? Yes, Caprese Salad is healthy as it only contains about 247 calories per 100g (3.5 ounce) ball of mozzarella, 60 calories for every 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, throw in about 33 calories for one large tomato and that’s a pretty healthy lunch or dinner.
Let’s get started!
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‘Plum Crazy’ Caprese Salad (a Fresh Take on an Italian Classic)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Caprese salad switches out tomatoes for seasonal plums and it couldn’t be more delicious and it takes less than five minutes to make. Sweet, tart, acidic seasonal plums, layered with creamy fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and a little sea salt make the perfect stand-in when tomatoes are out of season.
Ingredients
- 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, strained and evenly sliced
- 1/2 yellow plum, sliced thin
- 1/2 purple plum, sliced thin
- fresh basil leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Arrange slices of plum and mozzarella on a platter alternating slices, add a few leaves of fresh basil to the tops, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy as a light lunch, an appetizer, or for aperitvo.
Notes
- Use the best seasonal plums you can find that offer a bit of sweetness, but plenty of acidity much like tomatoes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Slice & Plate
- Cuisine: Italian
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