Experiment: Caprese

Last night I decided to try something new with Caprese salad. Instead of just layering the tomato, mozzarella, and basil and dressing with olive oil and balsamic glaze, I wanted to incorporate the basil into the dressing. My thoughts were to put basil into every bite easily and I needed a tasty medium to hold the basil. I could use olive oil (which would have worked just fine), but I wanted to punch it up a little. So, out came the blender and a bottle of champagne. Yes, that’s right… I chose to use champagne as the medium to carry the basil in this experiment. And the results, delicious. Of course, feel free to play with the ratios to get the results you desire. I am sure you will enjoy this new take on a classic favorite!

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Experiment: Caprese

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

8 oz mozzarella
1 tomato, medium sized
½ cup basil leaves
⅓ cup champagne (or sparkling wine)
2 tbsp olive oil
balsamic glaze
fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Slice the mozzarella and tomato into ¼ inch slices.
Arrange the slices in alternating layers.
Add the basil and champagne to a blender or small container that fits an immersion blender.
Blend until smooth, then drizzle olive oil in while blending to create a light emulsion.
Pour over the mozzarella and tomatoes.
Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Notes

It is best to create the dressing after preparing the tomato and mozzarella so it maintains its consistency.