Caprese Salad with Pesto

A beautiful and delicious favorite for summer? Yes please! Caprese salad with pesto is here to save the day with just a few ingredients and 5 minute prep time.

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Caprese Salad with Pesto

Fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil on a layer of pesto topped with olive oil and sweet balsamic glaze

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup pesto
• 2 medium to large tomatoes sliced into thick slices
• 12 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
• 1/2 oz package fresh basil de-stemmed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 Tbsp balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar
• sea salt to taste optional

Instructions

• Spread a layer of pesto on a plate or cutting board
• Add a slice of tomato, slice of mozzarella, basil leaf (or half), then repeat until all tomato is used
• Drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze or vinegar on top. Enjoy!

5 Minute Side Dish

I love that this Caprese Salad with Pesto looks and tastes amazing, and only take a few minutes to throw together. It works well for a dinner party, BBQ side, or works as an awesome side to a pasta dish like this one. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients in Caprese Salad with Pesto

Pesto: As the base of the dish, the pesto adds a fun twist to a classic caprese salad

Tomatoes: We want a larger tomato so the salad stands up taller and matches up with the mozzarella. If you don’t mind it standing up more narrow, you could do Roma tomatoes and cut the mozzarella sliced in half.

Mozzarella: Get the fresh, pre-sliced kind if you have it. You can also use a fresh large ball of mozzarella if the pre-sliced isn’t available.

Basil: The basil really ties the dish together *chef’s kiss*!

Olive Oil: It wouldn’t be a true Caprese salad without the olive oil!

Balsamic Glaze (or Vinegar): I prefer using balsamic glaze as it adds a slight sweetness and has a more “clean” drizzle, but you can also use regular balsamic vinegar!

Sea Salt (optional): Sprinkle some seat salt on top for the finishing touch!

What to Eat with Caprese Salad

Since caprese salad is a side dish, we will need more with a meal. We’ll definitely want to add some carbs and protein to the meal. Here are some examples of what to pair it with:

• Pasta with marinara + chicken sausage
• BBQ sandwich
• Mediterranean flatbread

Intuitive Eating Reminders

• Adding fat and flavor to a salad can increase satisfaction and absorption of nutrients!
• With gentle nutrition, let’s think about what we can add to a meal instead of what to take away
• Caprese salad is not a meal on it’s own. Make sure you add some carbs to the meal!