A Caprese Salad Dish With a Twist
All of the ingredients we used to make this alternative version of a Caprese salad dish.
We’re writing this article during the dog days of summer, when you have no choice but to satisfy your appetite with lighter, refreshing foods, that, by the way, are generally more healthy for you. Let’s take advantage of this yearning for more healthy foods by focusing on “the second most popular category” of foods in American dining, which is salads inspired by Italy. What’s the first salad that comes to mind?… Caprese salad it is!
Our founder, Sheila Donohue, who is spending the summer in Italy, recently went to a friend’s house. Her friend surprised her with this dish that was an unusual twist on the Classic Caprese salad dish. With the flavors are still lingering in her mouth, she can’t wait to share it with you. Hence the theme of this article, which also has the recipe for this alternative version of Caprese salad, which you got to try for yourself at home.
Who Invented the Caprese?
The Caprese salad is named after the Island of Capri in Southern Italy, just off the shores of Naples Italy. Caprese salad is pronounced [Cah-PRAY-zay] salad.
Do Italians eat Caprese salad? They sure do! In fact, it is considered a patriotic dish in Italy due to the colors of the dish, red from tomatoes, green from basil, and white from mozzarella cheese, representing the colors of the Italian flag: red, white and green. In Italy, the dish is super popular and you find it everywhere, especially in the summer time when Italian gardens are full of fresh tomatoes and basil.
However, unlike most popular Italian foods, the origins of the Caprese salad are fairly recent, from about 100 years ago. The reason why we say “about” is because there are 2 origin theories:
One is that it was invented by an Italian construction worker after World War II when he was looking for an easy lunch that he could eat on the run. In fact, as the legend goes, he had caprese salad as a sandwich;
The second theory refers to a hotel in Capri who showcased the dish in the 1920’s for a meal honoring a leader of the cultural futurism movement back then.
Well, if the second theory is true, the futurists guessed right: they invented what would become one of the most popular salads around the world.
The Caprese salad is delicious, made with fresh, easy to find ingredients, and, best of all, Caprese salad is healthy for you; it’s a no-brainer of a dish to have at any time, especially in the summer, and also is great for parties and entertaining.
As we covered in our Mediterranean diet ideas article, Italians traditionally got their food almost exclusively from their own backyard gardens, like this one, which influenced their cuisine to be heavily plant based, like the Caprese salad dish.
Fun fact: while researching this article we found out conflicting information about the Caprese salad dish: the Italian version of Wikipedia says that the dish can be served both as a primo piatto, or first dish, as well as a secondo piatto, or second dish, while the English version says that in Italy Caprese salad is one of the Italian appetizers. What do you think is the true answer?
What is the secret to a good Caprese salad?
What are the ingredients of Caprese salad? According to traditional Italian cuisine recipes, a typical Caprese salad dish has just 5 ingredients: tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, evoo salt, which certainly makes for a caprese salad easy. However, there are many variations on caprese salad, which you can create your own version based on ingredients that you easily have one hand.
Why is caprese so good? Clearly, with the proliferation of vegetable gardens in Italy, and having the tradition to grow what you eat, is part of the reason why the Caprese salad has grown in popularity in Italy, especially as a summer salad. So clearly, having fresh ingredients is key to making a really good Caprese salad.
Can you guess, though, the one “must have” ingredient in a Caprese salad dish? It is EVOO, which makes up the minimum requirement for a caprese salad sauce. In fact, if you have a really good Evoo food around, like the small batch extra virgin olive oils that we import in, all you need to drizzle on top is a really good Italian olive oil. That way, you can fully appreciate the intrinsic flavors of this cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. If you are a foodie, be sure to check out our series of articles about EVOO and becoming an olive oil expert, like in this article which explains how to taste olive oil properly, along with cooking ideas.
An Alternative Caprese Salad
Our redintion of Eleonora Riso’s delicious Caprese salad dish recipe.
Eleonora Riso is becoming a household name in Italy, after having won MasterChef Italia in 2024. In fact, she was dubbed the unofficial title of the Queen of MasterChef Italy. Her talent and passion for cooking shines through in an instant once you are on her Instagram handle eleonorariso_masterchef13. Italian foodies follow her intently to get cooking and recipe ideas.
In fact, Eleonora Riso was the inspiration for our founder’s friend to make this unusual, yet easy to make caprese salad with peaches, tomatoes and burrata, along with the secret ingredient: fried capers. This combination of these flavors, including, naturally, basil and EVOO, create a dish that enlivens your tastebuds and melts in your mouth. Sheila was dying to remember the salad so she could make it herself, let alone, share it with Vero’s followers.
Frying capers gives the dish a crunchy texture and a savoriness that nicely contrasts with the sweetness of peaches and caprese salad cherry tomatoes. Then, choosing caprese salad burrata gives the dish a delicious creaminess that contrasts with the fried capers and partners with the sweet profile of the peaches and tomatoes.
Naturally, being an Italian dish, our next thought is what about wine and food pairings?
While this dish seems simple, it does have a significant amount of flavor intensity and textures for which, to aim for the best wine and food harmony, you’d want a structured and flavorful white wine, like Quercia Scarlatta Marchese Japo white wine blend from Le Marche, or an organic Trebbiano Abruzzese white wine, like Famiglia Febo Parella. Also, a Rosé wine would also be a good choice, or a red wine with minimum tannins, like a Barbera red wine or Schioppettino. And don’t forget to have a really good EVOO on hand!
Stock Up to On Small Batch EVOO and Artisanal Wines
As a reminder, we forage for small batch artisanal wines and EVOOs and sell to businesses and consumers across the US.
If you are a distributor, have a licensed on or off premises business, or even a specialty food store, reach out to us to learn more about our portfolio and how we can partner together to source hard to find wild and scarce wines and olive oils.
Otherwise, wine lovers, foodies and companies seeking to support woman owned, sustainably focuses small businesses, we sell online, and ship across America. We also have an award winning wine club, have great gift baskets and organize unforgettable wine tasting experiences.
We are here for you. Reach out to us at any time.
Queen of Masterchef Italia’s Twist on Caprese Salad
We were so inspired by Eleonora Riso’s Instagram reel where she makes her rendition of Caprese salad, we tried it ourselves. Here is the recipe of how we made it:
Procedure
Use a paper towel to dry capers.
Put 4 tbls. of EVOO into a small frying pan with and heat it on a medium to high flame. Once water is drizzled on top and it sizzles, then add capers.
Keep stirring capers until they turn a darker color and get crunchy, about 6 minutes. Before removing all from pan, take one, let it cool off and eat it: when you bite into it, you should hear a crunch. If not keep cooking for, say, another minute. Just make sure they don’t burn.
Remove fried capers from pan and place on another paper towel to absorb oil.
Slice peaches and tomatoes.
Assemble on a dish, first lying the peaches and tomatoes, then fried capers. Then take off pieces from burrata with your hands and scatter them around the dish. Then basil leaves, then oregano, then a dash of salt, then drizzle a really good EVOO on top.
Serve with fresh bread and a really good artisanal wine, like a dry white, rose or red with low tannins.
Cooking and Prep Time: 30 minutes
Portions: 1 person for a main dish, or 3-4 people if appetizer
Ingredients:
1 large peach
5 oz. of cherry tomatoes
2 tbl. capers
4 tbl. burrata cheese
Fresh basil, about 14 leaves
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
4 tbl. of olive oil
A dash of coarse salt, preferably sea salt
A really good extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
Here are just a few: Quercia Scarlatta Marchese Japo white wine blend from Le Marche
Stock Up on Really Good EVOO and Small Batch Artisanal Wines to Pair
The extra virgin olive oils that we curate that are all organic and super small production. Likewise, our curated wines are farm crafted and made with minimal or no intervention. Here is just a sampling to use and pair with this delicious caprese salad with cherry tomatoes:
From the hills of Abruzzo near the Adriatic Coast of Italy, comes this Organic EVOO, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, farmed and made by the Febo family. Farmed sustainably and organic, this natural extra virgin olive oil is also vegan and, like all evoos, a first run - cold press olive oil, the best kind of olive oil for you.
The 2024 harvest is still made from a blend of olives like leccino and 500 year old trees, but now it is mostly the dritta cultivar.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic
Fun Facts: The dritta cultivar is a rare one being saved by Davide Febo who is trying to save and rehabilitate it.
This is an olive oil, super food for super foodies. This is small production organic & vegan extra virgin olive oil made primarily from a rare local cultivar from the area of Macerata Italy called Piantone de Mogliano. The buttery flavors and taste of this organic EVOO so inspired the family behind Quercia Scarlatta farm and winery in Le Marche Italy to name it ‘our gold’, or Il Nostro Oro.
Hand harvested and milled at the family’s farm, a first run, cold press evoo, this olive oil’s aromas remind you of stepping into a garden full of fresh green beans with a whiff of black pepper. Likewise, tasting it is like having fresh green beans with black pepper and butter, thanks to its buttery texture. Black pepper continues on the finish.
This organic extra virgin olive oil comes in a 3 liter container, made for following the Mediterranean diet to a tee!
This is a woman made, limited production first cold press organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Maremma hills of Tuscany made from a blend of four Tuscan cultivars. Buttery deliciousness with a bitter kick at the end, thanks to its polyphenols. It has won gold medals in a competition which judges the best extra virgin organic olive oils from around the world.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino
Fun Facts: The natural farming method that produced this extra virgin olive oil, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
A prestigious first cold press monocultivar organic extra virgin olive oil from the Maremma hils of Tuscany which has won best organic extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany! Its polyphenols which are used to determine how good an olive oil is, are exceptionally high!
Top awards include extra gold, as best Tuscan organic EVOO by Biol Novello which evaluates the best olive oils in the world. In the past this olive oil has also won Best in Italy, as well as Gambero Rosso 3 leaves (their highest rating).
Its aromas of grass, green pepper and mint lead to an intense hot pepper taste and a long finish with black pepper lingering in your mouth. Even just a little drizzled over a simple lettuce salad will bring it to life with flavor.
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Farming | Biodynamic | Vegan | No additives | Unfiltered | Organic | Metodo Corino
Fun Facts: The natural farming method that produced this extra virgin olive oil, the metodo corino, is actually patented by La Maliosa woman winemaker Antonella Manuli after she helped to develop it with natural wine legend Lorenzo Corino of Case Corini.
This natural wine is delicious fruit-forward organic vegan white wine, a blend of hard-to-find native varieties from the province of Macerata in Le Marche, Italy, a hilly area just to the east of Tuscany not far from the Adriatic Sea, has it all, great nose, taste, texture and structure. While it is unoaked, it was on the lees for 6 months with weekly battonage, contributing to its complexity of aromas, ranging from melon to saffron, and intensity of flavors. Made with indigenous varieties from Le Marche, Maceratino (also called Ribona) and Incrocio Bruni 54, it is a testament to Le Marche white wines.
Quercia Scarlatta follows a minimal intervention approach to vegan winemaking, using native yeast fermentation in their wines like this Marchese Japo.
An organic & vegan natural wine made from 100% trebbiano abruzzese, a white wine grape which the New York Times cites a grape “worth knowing better”. It has an inviting straw yellow color and an exotic nose (look for the saffron!) and an intriguing fruity and herbal taste.
This white wine is age-worthy too! Fermented and refined in grandfather Febo’s concrete vessels.
Region: Italy > Abruzzo > Chieti
Tastes Like: Peaches and Saffron
Farming & Winemaking Highlights: Regenerative Agriculture | Sustainable Winery | Biodynamic | Native Yeast Fermentation | Vegan | Single vineyard | Old Vine | Organic | Natural Wine
Fun Facts: This wine is named from the single vineyard from which it comes, Parella in Chieti.
Just imported in first time to the US, a 00 oak aged Barbera natural wine from a vineyard in Pascomonti, in the southern part of the Langhe, in Piedmont, this red wine is the most traditional take on a Barbera red wine from the Langhe: organically farmed, unfiltered, aged in neutral oak with no sulfites added and native yeast fermentation, this is great natural wine version of a Piedmont Barbera.
It has a fruity and spicy bouquet and on the palate has a nice balance of tannins and acidity. Overall, a structured wine with a lingering pleasant finish.
This is an unoaked Schioppettino from a women owned winery who spearheaded the rebirth of Schioppettino in the 'birthplace' of the grape which is Prepotto, Fruili. Having a deep purple-garnet color, it has notes of black pepper and dark fruit. Its taste is tangy, fresh and juicy with a long clean finish. Pairs with many dishes from hamburgers to roast pork. World renowned wine critic, Ian D’Agata calls this Schioppettino a ‘very pretty wine’ and named it a 'Best Buy Italian Wine'.
Some fun facts about this wine:
Vigna Petrussa also calls this wine ‘RiNera’, or a nickname for ‘Ribolla Nera’, local term given to the wine.
The grapes actually come from Prepotto but since it is not aged in oak the winery is not 'allowed' to put Prepotto on the label.
Vigna Petrussa is a certified sustainable and biodiverse women-owned winery.