Name: Caprese Salad with White Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: serves 4 people (as a side/appetizer)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 80 ml olive oil (1/4 cup); 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or sherry vinegar / apple cider vinegar); 1 tsp dijon mustard; salt, pepper; 450 g ripe tomatoes (1 pound); 125 g mozzarella cheese (4.5 oz); 120 g white beans (4.2 oz), canned or cooked; 1 bunch of fresh basil

Caprese Salad with White Beans

Mmm, tomato salad, the salad of my childhood. At home, we are all the biggest tomato fans. That means, that each year we take the time to plant the seeds, grow the plants, care for them while they grow. And lastly, we happily eat all the yellow and red homegrown, juicy tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are the perfect snack, especially if you get to eat them straight from the garden. Mmm, they are so sweet and juicy. Here in Slovenia, it’s pretty popular to make salads with pumpkin seed oil. It’s highly valued and produced with a lot of attention. The pumpkin seed oil is incredibly tasty, but we prefer to season our tomato salad with olive oil and a simple balsamic vinegar salad dressing. Add some Mozzarella and you have an amazing Caprese salad. We also added some white beans to make this salad slightly richer. This is an amazing summery, early autumn salad that celebrates delicious homegrown produce and hot days.

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad is a quick, 10-minute Italian salad, that doesn't leave you unimpressed. The traditional Caprese Salad is made with tomatoes, Mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. We added white beans as well, and let me tell you, it's delicious.

fresh, light, naturally sweet
colorful, vibrant and perfect for summer
prepared quick and easy
the perfect side for bbq and picnics
gluten-free
great for vegetarians

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO SALAD OR CAPRESE SALAD

Tomato salad is one of the easiest salads you can make. It's simple and made super fast.

Cook the white beans, if you are not using canned cooked white beans
Make the salad dressing
Slice the tomatoes
Season and arrange over a salad platter
Enjoy your homemade Caprese Salad with White Beans

What are the best tomatoes for a Caprese salad?

You can use any tomato variety for this recipe. We decided to mix and match using cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes. The more colorful the tomatoes will be, the more vibrant the salad will look and the riper they will be, the juicier and sweeter the salad will be.
How to cut tomatoes for tomato salad?
The easiest way to cut tomatoes is to use a bread knife or a serrated knife.

How do you store tomato salad?

It's best to always best to serve this tomato salad immediately, however, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container, chilled in a fridge for up to a day.

Variations

Feel free to adjust the taste and add in different ingredients. We recommend ripe avocado or fresh cucumbers. Or add some fruit like cantaloupe or watermelon.

Try these tasty summer salads too

METHOD

cook the beans (optional)

If you won't be using canned white beans, cook the dried white beans one day ahead of making Caprese Salad with White Beans. Add the white beans to a bowl, filled with 1 liter or 4 cups of cold water. The next day, drain the white beans. Add them to a pot filled with 1 liter or 4 cups of water, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and cook for 45 - 60 minutes over low heat. Drain and let cool completely. Store in a fridge, covered, for up to 5 days or until needed.
salad dressing

In a small bowl combine olive oil, vinegar, and a teaspoon of dijon mustard using an immersion blender or a fork to get a smooth, silky salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside until needed.
Caprese Salad with White Beans

Cut the tomatoes on 1 cm or 0.5-inch slices using a bread knife. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Arrange them on a large serving platter. Cut the Mozzarella cheese on smaller chunks and tuck the cheese underneath the tomatoes. Arrange the white beans over the tomatoes and cheese. Generously drizzle with the salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.