Caprese Salad; An Italian Favourite

✓ Gluten-Free
✓ Nut-Free

This Caprese salad is delicious, very pretty and makes a great accompaniment to a summer lunch. This salad looks particularly lovely laid out on a big white platter. Try to find a cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil in a dark amber bottle, as these varieties contain the most antioxidants and you can definitely taste the difference! With the balsamic vinegar, try to find a variety without preservatives or added colours!

Traditionally, a Caprese salad does not include olives or avocados, but these make for a nutritious and tasty addition. The classic salad is just tomatoes (red), basil (green) and mozzarella (white), along with olive oil and salt, to match the colours of the Italian flag. Other yummy additions include red onion, capers or even red capsicum.

Ingredients

5 medium tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
1-2 avocados, sliced thinly
1/2 cup olives (I used organic green olives, but other types would work as well)
200g fresh mozzarella
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Pinch of salt
Extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste

Method
  1. Arrange tomato slices, avocado, olives and mozzarella on a plate or in a large salad bowl.
  2. Tear up the basil leaves and sprinkle over the salad, along with a pinch of salt.
  3. Serve drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!