I love Insalata Caprese. What’s not to love? Tomatoes, cheese and olive oil all on the same plate. But I will say, when I order it, I am always a little bit anxious before it arrives. Will it be a plate of faded red tomatoes with no flavor? Bland olive oil? Mushy cheese? OR will it be a plate of ruby red lushness, succulent olive oil and firm slightly sweet cheese? Even if the waiter highly recommends it, sometimes I pass because I can’t take the stress or disappointment. It is widely known that I have a low stress-threshold.
Today, I will let you in on my little secret to perfect Insalata Caprese every time- at home.
For those of you still wondering, Insalata Caprese is a Neapolitan summer salad from the Isle of Capri. It is a fantastically simple salad and should remain so. The 4 ingredients are: Fresh, vine-ripe, semi-firm, non-refrigerated tomatoes; fresh Buffalo mozzarella cheese; excellent quality olive oil; garden fresh basil. Plus, coarse sea salt and fresh ground peppercorn.
Like you, I am always put off when I read such defined elements of a dish. I am not a gourmet chef. I don’t have a farm-fresh supplier dropping off locally grown produce or want to take a trip to the local big-box organic market. Sometimes I just want to run to Publix (local food shop), and hope for the best. Luckily, I have found that the popularity of the Food Network and Top Chef etc. has caused chain grocery stores to step up to the “plate” and start stocking more niche products. So, happily, I am able to find a pretty good selection of ingredients. The secret is to know what to look for and what you have to make the extra effort buying online or at specialty shops.
First off, tomatoes can be tricky. Even in the height of the season you can come up with a bland, mushy, gritty tomato. Even with all the hydroponics and international year-round imports, we cannot be guaranteed of a yummy vine-ripe tomato. Although, when you find them- they are the best!
Secondly, olive oil is key to most Italian dishes. This is one area that I do go out of my way to get the best I can afford. When cooking with it in sauces etc., I use a good but simple extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) purchased from a grocery store. When using it in it’s pure state on a salad, bruschetta, or a dip, I put my money where my mouth is. At the moment, my favorite olive oil is from O & Co., Oleificio Sociale Valdelsano, a Tuscan varietal- which is not available this season. But alternatives are 2 Sicilain varietals: Olis and Monteleone. If you have questions, call one of their Olive Oil Ladies (Divas) and they will recommend something to you. Don’t forget the stainless steel pourer!
If you can’t imagine olive oil really being all that different, stop into a gourmet shop like William-Sonoma, they have a olive oil tasting bar. Just like wine, you will find that your palate is drawn to certain flavors over others. Then go home and taste your plain EVOO, I think you will notice a difference.
Olive oil is also good for you. It is high in mono-unsaturated fat, a type of fat that researchers are finding has good health benefits. How many things can you name that are good and good for you? Admittedly, this is coming from a Diva that considers chips and salsa a food group.
Thirdly, cheese please. I just like saying that. Cheese, oh cheese, I love cheese. The textures, the tastes the smells..well, not always the smells. Insalata Caprese calls for Buffalo mozzarella, which can be found in the deli section of your store…not the cheese freezer with the yogurt.
Lastly, fresh herbs are essential to tasty dishes. Don’t skimp on them. I qualify the fresh leaves you can buy in bags in the produce section as “fresh”. Some may quibble and say “fresh” means picked off the basil bush in your backyard. Whatever. My way works just fine.
After lastly, coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. There are a lot of different types of salt. Americans are probably most used table salt which is usually pure sodium. Sea salt is made from evaporated sea water. You may not be able to tell the difference if evaporated in water, but when sprinkled on food in it’s coarse state, sea salt provides a different mouth feel and taste due to the different rate of dissolution.
Fresh ground peppercorn also offers a much different and heightened flavor than table “ground pepper”.

Now to the secret part… sotto sotto (shhhh…), if you read my comments on tomatoes carefully, you were surely envisioning the typical round Beefsteak tomato. A-HA!..not so fast. I have found the surest way to get a fresh ripe tomato every time is to think smaller. Just like Tiffany’s, the best things come in small packages. I use grape tomatoes . They have the thicker skin and inner texture of Beefsteak tomatoes, taste of Roma and not as watery as cherry tomatoes. And they are small and oblong like grapes. I will admit it is a piccolo (tiny) variation of the Insalata Caprese.
I also use Bocconcini. These are small rounds of Buffalo mozzarella. You will find them in small, whey-filled containers in the deli section of your store. I find the size of slices much more visually appealing than trying to slice the large rounds into rectangles.
Sheesh!, who thought it would take me this long to get to the heart of my Insalata Piccolo Caprese!
I use 2 containers of grape tomatoes, 1 approx. 8oz. container of Bocconcini, 1 bag of basil leaves, olive oil to taste, salt/pepper to taste. The best part is that all these ingredients are available all year round. These will make about 4-6 side dishes or 2-3 good size lunches. The cheese comes in pound and 1/2 pound sizes. It is FRESH cheese, so it does have a fairly quick expiration date. About 1 week after opening.
This dish is to be made and served, not placed in refrigerator. If you do, olive oil will separate and congeal- just as icky looking as it sounds. Harmless, but icky.
Slice tomatoes in halves, slice cheese to desired thickness (a bit less than a 1/4″), slice or tear basil into small pieces- just enough to add a bit of color, a few dashes of salt and a few grinds of pepper, drizzle olive oil over top. More of any of these ingredients can be added afterward. That is the beauty of most Italian dishes!
I make this up for a quick lunch, antipasto, or a contorno (side dish) for meals. I sometimes just make the tomatoes and skip the cheese. My friend Evette (who is Italian) likes to skip the tomatoes (how does she call herself Italian?) and just have the cheese. Hmmm…cheese salad- not a bad idea. Add a slice of Tuscan country bread, which I can also find in the bakery of my grocery store, a glass of a chilled, crisp, white wine and you have yourself a delectable feast for the eyes and the tummy.
Kick back and enjoy La Dolce Vita! Buon Appetito!
Trivia Alert: Did you know the red of the tomatoes, the white of the cheese and the green of the basil in the Insalata Caprese are meant to represent the colors of the Italian flag? Now you do.