The perfect summertime antipasti, Insalata Caprese or Caprese Salad is as simple as it gets. Featuring fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil, it's the ultimate ode to summer.

Caprese salad served on a rectangular platter with porcelain tomato, mozzarella, and basil on it.

Originating on the gorgeous island of Capri, Caprese Salad is well known not just throughout Italy, but around the world. You'll find it not only in its traditional format (as an antipasto or salad), but adapted into sandwiches, pasta salads, and more.

Even in the form of a salad, not all insalata caprese are created equal. If you live in the United States (and perhaps other countries too), you've probably had yours drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I'm here to tell you, that's a big no-no in Italy. Vinegar is far too overpowering for something so delicate. I'm sharing the correct way to make caprese salad as one would have in Italy.

The only ingredients that should be in a true insalata caprese are the red, white, and green ingredients reminiscent of the Italian flag (tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil), EVOO, and seasoning (usually just salt, but sometimes pepper and occasionally dried oregano).

Do you have to slice your tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange them as I do? No. Several of the caprese salads I enjoyed in Italy were prepared with halved cherry or grape tomatoes lightly dressed with olive oil and salt, with an entire ball of mozzarella placed in the middle. The intention was to cut and serve yourself.

At the end of the day, this is a very rustic and simple antipasto. As long as the ingredients are good quality, you can cut and arrange them in various ways.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for authentic caprese salad on a white marble background.

Tomatoes: For a recipe with so few ingredients, it's really important that each one is the best you can get. Ideally, use fresh summer tomatoes. If you can find some nice heirlooms, even better. I used ripe beefsteak tomatoes here.
Mozzarella: Use a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese. Packed in water is preferable to cryo-sealed but either will work. Again, use the best quality you can. If you can find fresh buffalo mozzarella (made from the milk of Italian water buffalo), get it! It's richer and creamier. You can really taste the difference not only in the cheese itself but in your finished insalata caprese. I got my Italian buffalo mozzarella from Venda Ravioli in Providence, RI. This imported 8.8-ounce ball was significantly pricier than your typical supermarket cow's milk mozzarella (around $15 vs $5) but totally worth it IMO! I have also tried Buf Creamery Ovoline buffalo mozzarella, which is a 7-ounce ball priced around $11 at Whole Foods. This is made with milk from Colombian water buffalos. It's also a very good option if you can't get one imported from Italy.
Fresh Basil: Only fresh basil will do, not dried.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: I've said it before and I'll say it again, for a recipe as simple as this you really need each ingredient to shine. Use the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can.

Slices of tomato, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves arranged on a rectangular platter.

How to make it

Place tomatoes on a cutting board with the stem facing to the side. I usually face the stem to my left, being right handed, and grip the tomato on that end as I slice starting at the right. Slice into ¼-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife. You can discard or snack on the bottom and top pieces.

Drain the mozzarella and lightly pat it dry. Slice into ¼-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife.

Sliced buffalo mozzarella and sliced beefsteak tomatoes fanned out on a white plate.

Arrange the slices of tomato and mozzarella on a platter. You can alternate the slices or be a bit more rustic in your arrangement. Tuck some basil leaves in between or scatter them on top.

Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the top and season with salt. If desired, also season with freshly ground black pepper and/or dried oregano. Serve immediately.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Insalata caprese made with buffalo mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes, and fresh basil.

Expert tips

The number of tomatoes you use will really depend on their size and the thickness of the slices. Plan to only use the middle slices of each tomato, setting aside the bottom and top pieces for snacking. I used 2 beefsteak tomatoes (minus their tops and bottoms) each weighing about 9 ounces to compose my insalata caprese.

I mentioned this earlier in the post, but I will stress it again. Authentic caprese salad in Italy does NOT use balsamic vinegar. The inclusion of balsamic vinegar in Americanized versions stems from using lower quality ingredients (perhaps off-season tomatoes and mediocre quality mozzarella) in order to add more flavor to the dish. If you use really good quality ingredients, they will already have wonderful flavor without covering them up with vinegar.

I purchased this adorable caprese salad platter (and the spoon rest as well) at Anfora Capri when I visited Capri in September 2025. They have online ordering in case you want to purchase something similar for yourself!

A platter of authentic caprese salad made with sliced tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil.

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