Caprese salad

Sliced ripe tomatoes and mozzarella with basil, olive oil and a few drops of balsamic.

  • Lazy AF
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free
  • Italian
  • Lunch
  • Side
  • Vegetables
  • Keto
  • Low carb
  • High protein
  • No cook
Hands-on
8 min
Total time
10 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 8 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Clean up 2 min
Pans
0
Ingredients
5
Cost/serving
$3.11

Per serving

Calories
362
Protein
21 g
Fiber
2.4 g
Net carbs
8.3 g
Fat
27 g

High in (% Daily Value per serving): Calcium 51%, Vitamin K 41%, Vitamin C 29%, Vitamin B12 27%, Zinc 23%, Vitamin A 22%, Riboflavin (B2) 22%, Vitamin E 21%, Selenium 21%

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already vegetarian, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 1

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • 1½ medium tomatoes (184 g), ripe
  • 80 g mozzarella, part-skim, fresh, pasteurized

    Same amount as: 2¾ oz, about ¾ cup.

  • ¼ cup fresh basil (6 g), leaves

    Same amount as: 60 mL.

  • 1 tbsp olive oil (14 g)

    Same amount as: 15 mL.

  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (5.3 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

Find alternative ingredients

Quantities are for 1 serving. Slice it right before eating. Cut tomatoes go watery in the fridge.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (290 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories362
Total fat27 g34%
Saturated fat10 g50%
Cholesterol51 mg17%
Sodium661 mg29%
Total carbohydrate11 g4%
Dietary fiber2.4 g8%
Total sugars6.5 g
Net carbs†8.3 g
Protein21 g43%
Vitamin D0.24 mcg1%
Calcium657 mg51%
Iron1 mg6%
Potassium540 mg11%
Vitamin A195 mcg22%
Vitamin C26 mg29%
Vitamin E3.1 mg21%
Vitamin K49 mcg41%
Thiamin (B1)0.08 mg7%
Riboflavin (B2)0.28 mg22%
Niacin (B3)1.2 mg8%
Vitamin B60.21 mg13%
Folate39 mcg10%
Vitamin B120.66 mcg27%
Magnesium44 mg10%
Zinc2.6 mg23%
Selenium12 mcg21%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into rounds about 1 cm (½ in) thick.

  2. Lay them on a plate, overlapping and alternating. Tuck the basil leaves between them.

  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the oil, then the balsamic.

    Done looks like: Tomato juice mixing with the oil on the plate. Basil smells fresh, not bruised.

Equipment

Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50

What to look for

  • Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
  • Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years

Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.

Cutting board $10–30

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
  • Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher

Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Pale, watery tomatoes with no tasteFridge-cold or under-ripe tomatoes.Use ripe tomatoes kept at room temperature. Salt them 5 minutes before serving.
Black, bruised basilChopped with a dull knife or cut too early.Tear the leaves or use them whole, right before serving.

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.

Pregnancy: Use mozzarella made from pasteurized milk (check the label).