Caprese Salad Recipe

Prepare greens

Place 4 cups of washed, spun-dry spring mix in a large shallow serving bowl or on a platter; keep chilled until assembly.

Slice tomatoes

Trim stem ends from 3 medium roma tomatoes and slice each into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If tomatoes are very watery, pat slices lightly with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Slice mozzarella

Slice 8 oz fresh mozzarella into 1/4-inch rounds roughly the same diameter as the tomato slices. Drain any excess liquid from the mozzarella and pat dry if needed.

Arrange salad

On top of the spring mix, alternate tomato and mozzarella slices in an overlapping row or circular pattern so they cover most of the greens. Tuck 20 fresh basil leaves between and on top of the tomato and mozzarella slices for color and aroma.

Season

Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper evenly over the arranged tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil evenly over the salad. Scatter about 1 tbs fresh oregano leaves over the top.

Make reduction: pour 1 cup balsamic vinegar into a small nonreactive saucepan. Add 1 tbs brown sugar or honey and stir to combine.

Simmer: bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon — about 10–15 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning; the volume should reduce by roughly half to three-quarters depending on desired thickness.

Cool: remove from heat and let the reduction cool slightly; it will thicken further as it cools. Transfer to a small pouring container or squeeze bottle for easier drizzling. If it becomes too thick, stir in 1 tsp of warm water to loosen slightly.

Finish salad: right before serving, drizzle the balsamic reduction in a thin ribbon over the arranged Caprese salad. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a tiny extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.