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    Home / gluten-free / Strawberry Caprese Salad

    Strawberry Caprese Salad

    Published May 8, 2013

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    plate full of strawberry caprese salad

    My dad was a foodie long before the word even existed. He always loved cooking new things – risotto, fresh pasta, pizza from scratch, smoked turkey on Thanksgiving. I wish I could say that I appreciated all of his gastronomical endeavors when I was a kid, but in the realm of his nightly salads, this was not the case.

    strawberries on a tray

    My dad often made caprese salads in the summer: a bed of lettuce topped with slabs of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, which he would serve at the end of the meal, in true Italian fashion. I would eat the cheese and even the tomatoes, but the greens always felt like punishment, something to endure in order to be allowed a bowl of ice cream afterward.

    One evening, inspiration struck, and I asked if I could eat my salad outside on the deck that overlooked the garden. My dad agreed. I sneaked around the corner and out of sight, launched the lettuce over the side of the deck, loitered around for a bit, then returned to the kitchen with an empty plate, thanking my dad overzealously for the delicious salad. It worked like a charm.

    greens in a bowl

    I don't know if my dad ever got wise to my lettuce-chucking ways, but he reads this blog, so now he knows the truth. (Dad, I'm sorry for all the lettuce I wasted.) Unfortunately, Jay has similar salad force-feeding tendencies. We don't have a deck, and Jay would be deeply suspicious if I ever took my salad up to the roof (especially now - he reads this blog, too). So I'm forced to chew my way through giant bowls of leafy greens almost every day. Jay would be happy eating a mammoth salad for every meal – he even ordered one for dessert once – but I'm more particular. I prefer salad only when the weather is very warm, which, luckily for me, isn't that often here in San Francisco.

    honey and vinegar on a tray

    During last week's heatwave, though, I couldn't get the idea for this strawberry caprese out of my head. I decided to compose it on a bed of greens, as an ode to my dad's caprese in hopes of making up for my past lettuce-wasting ways. Our co-op has been stocking the loveliest baby lettuce heads lately, which I washed and arranged on plates with sliced strawberries, torn basil leaves, small mozzarella balls called bocconcini, and toasted sliced almonds. Balsamic has a way of dulling bright colors, staining pristine mozzarella, and pooling on the plate. I took a cue from Lily and reduced it, with a bit of honey, to a thick syrup before drizzling it over the layers of loveliness along with good olive oil, flaky salt and black pepper.

    strawberry caprese salad on a tray

    I often dismissed strawberries in salad as being gimmicky, but I will never make that mistake again. Here they not only stand in for tomatoes, they might actually trump them with their sweetness and tang. Strawberries and balsamic get on famously, the vinegar adding depth to the sweet fruit, and the reduced form, kissed with honey, is even more intense.

    The anise flavor of the basil seems to heighten the sweetness of the berries and balsamic reduction, anchoring it in the savoy realm along with black pepper, spicy olive oil and salty cheese. Crisp, cool lettuce leaves manage to taste like a treat, and the toasted almonds add an unexpected, earthy crunch; though I bet pine nuts would make a nice stand-in. Creamy mozzarella makes a soothing contrast to the brash balsamic; though feta or goat cheese could be good, too. All in all, it is a delightful contrast of flavors and textures, one that makes you want to close your eyes and focus on nothing else but the spring garden party going on in your mouth.

    strawberry caprese salad on a plate

    The quality of each ingredient is what makes this salad sparkle, so get the best of everything you can find. This recipe serves two as a light meal, or four as an appetizer. Heck, you could even serve it for dessert, what with the berries, nuts and honey.

    In any case, this is one salad that I would never throw off the deck.

    Honest.

    top down shot of caprese salad

    More Salad Recipes:

    • Spring Tabbouleh with Harissa and Grilled Halloumi
    • Melon with Lime, Feta and Mint
    • Orzo Summer Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
    • Roasted Beet & Carrot Lentil Salad with Feta, Yogurt & Dill

    More Caprese Recipes:

    • Cucumber Melon Caprese Salad
    • Caprese Gazpacho
    • Vegan Caprese Salad with Peaches & Arugula

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this strawberry caprese salad recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    5 from 1 vote

    Strawberry Caprese Salad

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    A refreshing summer salad made with fresh strawberries.
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2 light-meal-sized salads, or 4 smaller appetizers.

    Ingredients

    For the balsamic reduction:

    • 2 tablespoons honey (1 1/4 ounces)
    • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

    For the salads:

    • 2 baby lettuce heads (4-5" long), or 3-4 cups gently packed baby greens
    • 1 cup small strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
    • 6-8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) in water, drained and halved
    • a large handful of basil leaves, torn if large
    • 3-4 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
    • 1 tablespoon super good olive oil
    • flaky salt (such as Maldon)
    • freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions

    Make the balsamic reduction:

    • Combine the honey and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer gently, swirling occasionally, until the mixture is bubbling thickly and reduced by about a third, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

    Assemble the salads:

    • Divide the lettuces between two medium plates. Top with the strawberries, bocconcini, basil, and almonds. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the balsamic reduction, and scatter a big pinch of flaky salt over the top. Top with a bit of freshly ground black pepper. (Or, if you prefer, toss everything together in a large bowl, then divide it among plates or bowls.) Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Adapted from Erin Gleeson.
    The balsamic reduction makes enough for 3 or 4 rounds of this salad. Store it in a jar at room temperature. The reduction will stain everything with its deep brown hue, so the instructions here are for a composed salad, with the dressing components drizzled over the top. If looks aren't an issue, feel free to make this as a tossed salad by combining all the ingredients in a large bowl, drizzling in the olive oil, balsamic reduction, salt and pepper, and tossing with your hands until everything is well-coated.
    As I mentioned above, I think pine nuts could stand in for the almonds, and feta or goat cheese for the mozzarella.
    Measurements here are loose, so add the components according to your taste and what looks good on the plates.
    Nuritional values are based on one of two main servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 544kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 24gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 570mgPotassium: 480mgFiber: 5gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 1380IUVitamin C: 46.3mgCalcium: 520mgIron: 2.1mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    plate of strawberry caprese salad

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. carey says

      May 09, 2013 at 12:36 pm

      DUDE, this is so my kind of caprese! I still have kind of a weird relationship with tomatoes (which has improved drastically since hating them as a child). I can't really handle them in large chunks, especially with any trace of the seedy guts. I love the flavor, but that kind of mealy consistency with the seedy goo just gives me the icks. But strawberries? Heck yeah. Especially with balsamic and mozz, oh man.

      Have you ever had burrata? (It's mozzarella with ricotta inside.) It's my new favorite thing for summer salads and bread snacks, because it's basically cheese + ricotta sauce.

      And the salad story is hilarious. I feel the same way about most greens, especially since they can spoil quickly, and seeing one imperfect leaf in my salad will just put me off entirely.

      And YES, salad at the end of a meal! That was a habit I picked up from my ex's Italian family, and people look at me like I'm crazy if I get a salad as part of my meal somewhere, then just set it aside and save it for later. I try to take solace in the fact that I'm more worldly, or something. :P

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 09, 2013 at 4:15 pm

        Mealy tomatoes are never a good thing - I'm with you all the way. Ditto wilted lettuce leaves. Jay makes fun of the way I pick through salads and pull out any suspicious bits, so I'm glad someone understands. :)

        And OMGYES - I am totally making this with burrata next time! I can also imagine roasting the berries with balsamic, honey, salt and olive oil, then topping crostini with burrata, basil and the roasted berries!

        I'm glad someone else understands the post-meal salad, too. The way my former roommate, an acupuncturist, put it is that salad cools your digestive fire, so it would be counter-productive to eat it before a meal. I think the Italians got that one right. We are so worldly. :)

        Reply
    2. Amy @ Swiss Miss in the Kitchen says

      May 10, 2013 at 4:23 pm

      This salad looks awesome Alanna!!! I eat a salad nearly every day for lunch but I never added some strawberries! Definitely gonna change this! This looks so fresh and tasty :)
      xox Amy

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 10, 2013 at 6:37 pm

        Aw, thanks, Amy!! Let me know how you like it. :)

        Reply
    3. Dusty Reykjavik says

      May 11, 2013 at 12:55 pm

      Beautiful- Thank You for sharing :-)

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 11, 2013 at 5:05 pm

        You're welcome - thank you for reading!

        Reply
    4. Katherine says

      June 19, 2017 at 3:47 am

      As always, Alanna comes to the rescue. I actually searched for 'strawberries' and found the answer to my real question, which is, "what the heck am I going to do with this family sized salad I got for free from WFM and I am only one person?" Yes, I just moved and they sent me a coupon for a free rotisserie chicken, a family salad, a lb of pasta and a jar of sauce. How awesome is that?

      Anyway I digress... I was looking at this giant salad of mesclun packaged with goat cheese, pecans, dried cranberries and fat free balsamic (is that like non-dairy milk?? sheesh). I have some balsamic reduction left in the fridge and the aforementioned strawberries so salad it is!

      And that idea of roasting (grilling even?) the berries and making crostini? Brilliant. And burrata - drooling and wish it wasn't 6:30 am so I could go to the bakery and market! I'm in a serious slow food town now - the breakfast places make announcements like - Now Open at 8 am!! Seriously what's wrong with 7? Oh wait now we circle back to your irritation with early risers :) That was a funny post, too.

      Have a fabulous day - still following your blog just haven't been cooking much lately (see previous comment about moving - twice in 4 months).

      Reply

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