Name: Cupid’s Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/8 cup honey (brown sugar or maple syrup); 2 medium ripe tomatoes,; 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese,; 1/4 cup packed fresh basil; Salt and black pepper to season; extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling; Heart shaped cookie cutter

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The traditional Italian caprese salad (pronounced “kuh·prei·zei”) is named after Capri’s island, where it is believed to have originated. Classy in its simplicity, this salad is just tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and olive oil. Mozzarella hearts made with a heart-shaped cookie cutter adds a whimsical touch for a romantic dinner or an encouragement to get kids to eat some salad. The addition of the homemade balsamic glaze takes this salad to the WOW level.

Homemade Balsamic Glaze sounds fancy. Sounds complicated. Sounds stressful! Guess what? It’s NOT! What it is, however, is quite impressive. Balsamic glaze is a scrumptious, glossy, dark brown syrup with an intense flavor. East to make, it has just two ingredients, balsamic vinegar and a sweetener. My preference is honey, but maple syrup or brown sugar work equally well. In only 15 minutes, the vinegar is transformed into a delicious concoction of sweet and tangy. If you would prefer not to add sugar, you can forego the sweetener and simply cook down the vinegar on its own. (This works best with high-quality balsamic vinegar). Leftover glaze can be stored in the refrigerator for months. Balsamic glaze adds a great flavor to grilled vegetables, chicken, pork, steak, or salmon; summer berries; thin-crust pizza; even vanilla ice cream. It’s also the perfect addition to a cheese plate. The glaze recipe can be easily doubled.

This recipe rates a WOW on the Impress-O-Meter and a RELAXED on the Stress-O-Meter.

Cupid's Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze is the perfect accompaniment to a romantic steak dinner — Cupid’s Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze is the perfect accompaniment to a romantic steak dinner

Ingredients include fresh basil, ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt & pepper

Add the honey to the balsamic vinegar bring to boil, simmer and let reduce by half, until it coats the back of a spoon.

Slice mozzarella in rounds and use cookie cutter to make heart shapes

Arrange tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on platter, season and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze

Cupid’s Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Recipe by Jane BruceCourse: Appetizers, SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Caprese Salad is a simple salad of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes topped with basil drizzled with homemade balsamic vinegar. The fresh mozzarella is cut in heart shapes with a cookie cutter making this the perfect starter for a romantic meal.

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup honey (brown sugar or maple syrup)
2 medium ripe tomatoes,
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese,
1/4 cup packed fresh basil
Salt and black pepper to season
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Heart shaped cookie cutter

Directions

Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer until the vinegar mixture has reduced by half, about 15 minutes (it should coat the back of a spoon).
Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Pour it into a glass bottle. Store unused syrup in refrigerator.
Cut tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices
Slice fresh mozzarella into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and use a cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes
Chiffonade the basil (Stack the leaves on top of each other, gently roll them into a cigar, using a sharp knife slice into thin ribbons.)
Arrange the tomato slices on a platter, season with salt and pepper. Place mozzarella hearts on top of tomatoes. Top with basil ribbons
Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic glaze over the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

Notes

Mozzarella slices best when cold, right from the fridge, use with a sharp knife or dental floss
I use honey for the sweetener. Maple syrup or brown sugar can also be used. If you are using a good quality balsamic vinegar, you can reduce it down without adding any sweetener.
Spray measuring cup with non-stick spray before adding the honey. Honey will easily slide out of the measuring cup with no sticky mess
To chiffonade the basil, simply stack the basil leaves, roll up, and thinly slice to form ribbons. If you prefer, you can use whole basil leaves instead of the chiffonade.
Store unused glaze in the refrigerator to use with grilled vegetables, chicken, pork, steak, or salmon; summer berries; thin-crust pizza; cheese plates; even vanilla ice cream.
Avocado slices go nicely with this salad