The fresh flavors of mozzarella, tomato and basil fill this collection of caprese-inspired recipes. Whether stuffed into mushrooms and sandwiches or stirred within a hearty salad, you'll find a deliciously simple dish here that you can make in three steps or less. Recipes like our Caprese Salad with Basil & Tarragon Chimichurri and Roasted Salmon Caprese are flavorful and nourishing.
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Cauliflower Gnocchi Caprese
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This super-easy dish is perfect for summer. Store-bought frozen cauliflower gnocchi are crisped up in a pan, then tossed with mozzarella cheese, plenty of basil and balsamic vinegar for a hearty and healthy spin on the classic caprese salad.
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Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
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We've taken the key ingredients of the popular Caprese salad—tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil—and piled them into portobello mushroom caps to make a delicious and satisfying vegetarian main dish.
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Caprese Salad with Basil & Tarragon Chimichurri
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This is a caprese salad like you've never had before! Chimichurri with lime zest and juice, capers, serrano and tarragon adds new flavors to the classic ingredients of ripe tomatoes, basil and creamy mozzarella. Ripe green tomatoes offer a striking green hue, but any fresh ripe tomato will work well.
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Caprese Sandwich
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This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.
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Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
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The basil dressing packs a punch in this caprese salad with cherry tomatoes. Dark balsamic vinegar is traditional, but to make the color pop, white balsamic vinegar can be used in its place.
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Caprese Avocado Toast
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Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil—the building blocks of caprese salad--lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe.
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Grilled Caprese Chicken
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The topping of this caprese-like chicken gets nice and melty on the grill. While you're there, crisp up some crusty bread to serve alongside. It's great for soaking up all the flavorful juices left on your plate.
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Roasted Salmon Caprese
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This oven-ready recipe is snap to prep. Salmon fillets and cherry tomatoes roast side by side on one pan, then are drizzled with balsamic glaze to pull it all together.
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Hasselback Tomato Caprese Salad
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Use the Hasselback technique to change up your caprese salad with this fun twist! Cutting partially into the whole tomato creates openings to layer in fresh mozzarella cheese, basil and a balsamic drizzle for tons of flavor in this unique vegetable side dish recipe.
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Avocado Caprese Salad
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This avocado caprese salad has all the flavors of a classic caprese salad with the addition of creamy avocado. The sweet and tangy balsamic dressing pulls everything together, with fresh basil adding a refreshing pop of color. Add capers for an even bigger flavor.
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Cucumber Caprese Sandwich
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We added cucumber and greens to the tomato to make this refreshing cucumber caprese sandwich flavored with pesto, fresh mozzarella and a sweet balsamic glaze.
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Caprese Zucchini Casserole
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A summertime favorite—zucchini casserole—gets an Italian spin in this delicious and healthy side dish with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. You can use zucchini or summer squash in this caprese-style casserole, or a combination of the two. A sprinkling of fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar just before serving brightens up the flavors. Serve with grilled or roasted chicken and some quinoa, rice or couscous to soak up the juices from the casserole for a satisfying and easy dinner.
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Sheet-Pan Caprese Pizza
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This light and flavorful caprese pizza is ready when the tomatoes are just heated through and the mozzarella cheese is slightly melted. If you want a little more on this pizza, it'd be delicious with a few slices of prosciutto. Chef tip: let your dough come up to room temperature before you stretch it--it'll make it much easier to work with.
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Watermelon Caprese Salad
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This refreshing twist on the classic caprese salad replaces tomatoes with sweet, juicy watermelon. Basil and balsamic vinegar push this easy summer salad to the savory side, but if you want some sweeter notes, opt for balsamic glaze. An optional drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil at the end helps marry the flavors.
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Campfire Caprese Grilled Cheese
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A twist on a classic grilled cheese, this caprese sandwich adds pesto and tomato for a quick and simple campsite meal.
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Caprese Skewers
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We take all the ingredients of a classic caprese salad and layer them onto skewers for a quick appetizer. These tomato-mozzarella-basil skewers are easy to assemble and perfect for a party.
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Caprese Pasta Salad
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This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.
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Caprese Pasta Salad with Salami
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Tomatoes—both cherry and heirloom—are the star of the show in this pasta salad. This easy summer dinner includes salami for its rich savory flavor, but you can skip it or sub in white beans to make this dish vegetarian. Recipe adapted from Tomato Love by Joy Howard.
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Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata
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For a gorgeous take on a classic caprese, make this healthy salad recipe with heirloom tomatoes in various colors, shapes and sizes. Swapping regular mozzarella for creamy burrata makes this summer salad even more special--but it's still incredibly easy to make.
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Skillet Caprese Chicken Casserole
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This one-skillet dinner features the flavors of a summer caprese salad. Fresh tomatoes and basil are combined with chicken and pasta and cooked in a creamy sauce before being topped with a layer of melted mozzarella. A good-quality balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fresh basil completes the dish.
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Chicken Caprese Sandwich
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This chicken caprese sandwich has all the classic flavors of a caprese salad with an added boost of protein from grilled chicken. Using store-bought grilled chicken makes assembly quick and easy. This sandwich for one is made in a skillet, but would work equally well in a panini press if you have one on hand.
