Caprese Salad with Homemade Pesto

Caprese Salad with Homemade Pesto! Easy, fresh and perfect for squeezing!

Look, if there's one salad that's guaranteed to be a hit on any occasion, it's Caprese! That combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil is already wonderful on its own, but when you combine it with homemade pesto?

So, it becomes an incredibly good deal! By the way, do you know what the best part is? It's super easy to do, you know? So, come with me and I'll teach you the simplest step-by-step possible!

What will you need?

Easy to make vegetarian recipes

tudoemordem.net

First, for the salad (serves 2, or 1 very hungry person!):

  • 2 very nice tomatoes (if you can find Italian ones, great! If not, get the really red ones)
  • 200g of buffalo mozzarella (if you can't find it, you can use normal fresh mozzarella, but buffalo mozzarella is on another level)
  • A handful of fresh basil (no frills, the more the better!)
  • Good olive oil (the kind you save for special occasions)
  • Coarse salt and pepper (to give it that touch)

Second, for the wonderful pesto:

  • 1 full cup of basil (remove the stems, just the leaves!)
  • 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (or walnuts, if you can’t find them – they work too!)
  • 1 clove of garlic (small, otherwise it will be too strong)
  • Grated parmesan cheese (about 3 heaping spoons)
  • Olive oil (until it reaches the desired consistency)
  • Salt to taste

How do you do it? So easy that even I'm surprised!

  1. Pesto: first of all, the secret is not to complicate it!
  2. Then, add the garlic and pine nuts to the processor and blend until finely chopped.
  3. Add the basil and blend again (without overdoing it, otherwise it will heat up and turn dark).
  4. Add the cheese and gradually add olive oil until it becomes a beautiful cream.
  5. By the way, taste and adjust the salt. If it's too thick, just add a little more olive oil.

Bonus tip: If you want an extra creamy pesto, you can add a spoonful of hot water and stir!

Assembling the Caprese: here the look counts!

  1. First, cut the tomato and mozzarella into slices of more or less the same size (about 0.5 cm is perfect).
  2. On the plate, alternate between: a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella, a basil leaf... until you form a beautiful circle.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and, of course, finally, add that pesto on top (or on the side, if you want to let everyone help themselves).

SEE ALSO:

Tips that make a difference!

  • Tomato: If it is bland, leave it for a few minutes with coarse salt on top and it will become tastier.
  • Cheese: If the buffalo mozzarella is too wet, dry it with paper towels first.
  • Pesto: If you have any leftovers, store them in a jar with a drizzle of olive oil on top and they will last for about 3 days in the fridge!
  • Innovate? In fact, you can add a few drops of Sicilian lemon to the pesto or even some arugula leaves to give it a different touch.

Done! Now just get started! – Caprese Salad with Homemade Pesto

This salad is perfect for a romantic dinner, a Sunday lunch, and you can even impress your friends without having to spend hours in the kitchen. And the pesto? By the way, it goes well with everything: bread, pasta, toast... it's so versatile!

So, did you like it? Try it and tell me how it turned out!

Livia