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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    'Plum Crazy' Caprese Salad (a Fresh Take on a Classic Italian Salad)

    Published: Apr 11, 2021 · Modified: Dec 4, 2022 by Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    a slice of plum with mozzarella and and basil on top sliced in half and resting on extra virgin olive oil
    a bit of a sliced plum with mozzarella on it and a fork sticking in it

    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.

    a caprese salad on a white oval platter with fresh slices of fresh milky mozzarella, sliced datterino tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil and sea salt by a window with just a hint of my hand showing
    beautiful caprese salad for two on a white platter with the reddest tomatoes and the brightest green extra virgin olive oil
    beautiful caprese salad with leaves of basil and grape tomatoes tucked in between each slice of thick milky mozzarella

    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.

    A view of the Collesium in Rome, Italy with trees framing it in the photo.
    two slices of focaccia with each a slice of prociutto di Parma draped on top, a fresh ball of mozzarella di bufula still in the white package lying above with a handful of fresh dark cherries in the middle and a ripe tomato laid out on thin butcher-like paper outside for a picnic on a very sunny day
    This impromptu picnic is still one of my most memorable outdoor meals (Mozzarella di bufula, a so-so tomato, to make a paired down version of Caprese salad)
    purple plum, yellow plum, basil leaves and a ball of fresh mozzarella on an Epicurean cutting board
    sliced yellow and purple plums with sliced mozzarella and fresh basil leaves on a cutting board with the sun shining on them

    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
    sliced plums and mozzarella on a white oval platter

    How to Make a Plum Crazy Caprese Salad

    1. 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. 
    a caprese salad on a white oval platter with fresh slices of fresh milky mozzarella, sliced datterino tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil and sea salt by a window with just a hint of my hand showing
    beautiful caprese salad for two on a white platter with the reddest tomatoes and the brightest green extra virgin olive oil
    beautiful caprese salad with leaves of basil and grape tomatoes tucked in between each slice of thick milky mozzarella

    Looking for More Salad Recipes?

    Below are a few easy, wholesome salad recipes you may also enjoy.

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    beautiful caprese salad for two on a white platter with the reddest tomatoes and the brightest green extra virgin olive oil
    vending machine with fresh milk, butter, mozzarella balls, yogurt and Kinder Bueno snacks
    vending machine with fresh milk, butter, mozzarella balls, yogurt and Kinder Bueno snacks

    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 ½ 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 and mozzarella caprese salad with basil leaves and olive oil on a plate

    'Plum Crazy' Caprese Salad (a Fresh Take on an Italian Classic)


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    • Author: Kelly
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: 2 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe

    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

    Scale
    • 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, strained and evenly sliced
    • ½ yellow plum, sliced thin
    • ½ purple plum, sliced thin
    • fresh basil leaves
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • sea salt to taste

     


    Instructions

    1. 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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    A photo of Kelly doing a pasta making demonstration at The Broadway Panhandler in NYC, NY.

    Hi, I'm Kelly! A private chef helping busy families cook and enjoy tastier, healthier meals at home. Born and raised in Arkansas, I've lived and worked in NYC, Sichuan China, and now Northeast Italy. Each of these places impacts the diverse way we cook, live, and celebrate life. You'll find a bit of everything here whether you're new to cooking, or you've made it all. If you love to eat, you're in the right place!

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