Caprese il Tricolore, aka insalata caprese or caprese salad, is one of my all-time favourite salads at any time of the year. It's light, it's refreshing, and really simple to make. It's one of the easiest meals in the world to make, and takes its name from the Italian flag, il Tricolore Italiano.
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il Tricolore Italiano
The green of the flag is said to represent the hills and plains of Italy, the white is the snow-capped Alps, and the red is the blood spilled during the Italian wars of independence. Catholics will no doubt also tell you that the green is for faith, the white for hope, and the red, charity. Both are equally charming interpretations, and each has merit.
Caprese salad
In this caprese salad, we have the green of the wonderfully fragrant basil and the soft, buttery avocado, the white of the delicately-flavoured and creamy mozzarella (either dairy or vegan mozzarella), and the red of deliciously sweet tomatoes. Italian of course!
Like the most stylish Italians, Caprese il Tricolore is dressed very simply - in this case, with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and some freshly-cracked black pepper. Deliziosa!
By the way, in case you are wondering, it's pronounced, ka-pray-zeh eel tree-coh-lore-ehh.
Ingredients for caprese il Tricolore
- mozzarella
- tomatoes
- basil
- avocado
- balsamic glaze (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper
How to make caprese salad
Making this is simplicity itself:
1. Simply remove the mozzarella from its liquid, rinse it under cold running water, and then pat dry with a piece of kitchen roll to remove any excess moisture.
2. Slice the tomatoes, and tear any large basil leaves in half.
3. Cut the mozzarella into 1cm (½") slices, and then arrange the cheese, tomato and basil on a plate, alternating each piece.
4. Cut each avocado half into slices, and arrange on the plate.
5. Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a few grinds of black pepper.
What can I serve caprese salad with?
We generally have this as a starter, so we have it on its own. However, for a light lunch or supper, then some good, fresh crusty bread doesn't go amiss!
You'll love caprese il Tricolore
Because it's...
- quick and easy
- refreshing
- light, yet filling
- full of goodness
- MOFMOF (minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour!)
- so delicious
Buon appetito!
📖 Recipe
Caprese Il Tricolore
Ingredients
- 200 g mozzarella (either dairy or vegan)
- 1 medium avocado , peeled, de-stoned, and cut in half
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes
- 20 fresh basil leaves (approx)
- Dash black pepper
Optional
- Drizzle of balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Remove the mozzarella from its liquid, rinse under cold running water, and then pat dry with a piece of kitchen roll to remove any excess moisture.
- Slice the tomatoes, and tear any large basil leaves in half.
- Cut the mozzarella into 1cm (½") slices, and then arrange the cheese, tomato and basil on a plate, alternating each piece. (The eagle-eyed among you will notice that mine don't actually start with green and end with red!)
- Cut each avocado half into slices, and arrange on the plate.
- Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Serve immediately on its own or with some fresh crusty bread.
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include bread.
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Jacqui Bellefontaine
I've not made it with Vegan cheese but I have made it many time with buffalo mozzarella and its one of my favourite starters too. then again I like a lot of Italian dishes. Yours look so pretty on the plate . Thank you for linking your fabulous recipes to #CookBlogShare. Have a fabulous Christmas and best wishes for the new year.
Nico
Before I became vegan, my favourite caprese was made with freshly-made burrata - my mouth waters, just thinking about that! xx
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
How gorgeous is this?! I love the primer in Italian pronunciation: I still argue with people about "broo-skeh-tta" vs. "broo-sheh-tta". (Definitely the hard K.) I had to take Italian diction way back in my vocal performance major days, after all. 😛
I am a big fan of caprese salads, and the addition of avocado just makes this salad all-out amazing. What beautiful photos!
Nico
Awww, grazie mille, Michelle - molto apprezzato! Glad the pronunciation was helpful, rather than annoying (ha ha) - it makes me twitch when people mis-pronounce Italian words... but then it occurs to me that maybe they've only ever read the words, not heard them spoken. That said, in two different restaurants, I've come across wait staff who've said 'ka-preez' instead of caprese, and (more twitch-worthy for me, as a mezza-Veneziana!), 'kye-chetty' instead of cichetti. I did feel the need to put them both right! But my biggest bugbear is when people say paninis and raviolis! Gaaaaaah! LOLOL!
Have a wonderful festive season, amica mia! xx
EDIT: I've just remembered that one time I overhead in a café, someone order the 'kweetch salad'! And for my own sins, until a few years ago, I thought hyperbole was pronounced 'hyper-bowl'! Ha ha ha!
Corina Blum
I love this type of salad! It's amazing how something so simple can taste so great. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice
Nico
I'm firmly of the opinion that simple food is the best - it's rare that I'll make something fussy. Ain't nobody got time for that! Ha ha! xx
Naomi
I love tomato and mozzarella so this is right up my street! #BrillBlogPosts
Nico
It's such a wonderful combination, isn't it, Naomi?! xx