Caprese Salad With Toasted Walnuts

The addition of warm toasted walnuts makes this Caprese salad stand out against the rest. A simple addition with tons of flavor.

This Caprese Salad Has Something a Little Extra

I’ve always loved Caprese Salad in its classic form. It’s refreshing, light, and elegant.

But this recipe kicks things up a notch with the addition of crunchy, toasty walnuts! The warming aroma and flavor of the walnuts zhuzh things up ever so slightly, and the method is super simple.

What Is Caprese Salad?

Caprese Salad is a super fresh Italian salad or starter made up of juicy tomato slices, soft fresh mozzarella, and basil. It’s typically seasoned with a simple sprinkle of salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze.

These ingredients work wonders together by bringing creaminess, acidity, herbaceousness, and sweetness to your palate. It’s a fantastic summer side that pairs SO many mains—from grilled meats to pastas!

What to Serve Caprese Salad With

• This would be a great side for both heavier and lighter pasta dishes. I love serving it with pasta tossed in my ground sausage and pepper sauce. It’s also fantastic with this light and veggie-filled pasta primavera!
• We love popping this Caprese Salad next to grilled meats. And not just beefy steaks! It’s great with swordfish steaks as well.
• Another thing that pairs well with this salad are hearty sandwiches. Skip the fries when making your next turkey or chicken burgers, or sausage on a bun!

If you love Caprese salad, you MUST try our Caprese Pizza!

Super Simple Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella
• Fresh basil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic glaze
• Walnuts

How to Make Caprese Salad

1. Start by toasting your walnuts. Heat a dry pan over medium-low heat, then add the walnuts to it. Let the walnuts toast for about 5 minutes—or until aromatic and lightly golden in color. Be sure to give that pan a shake every once in a while to avoid burning! When done, set it aside to cool. When cooled, roughly chop the walnuts.
2. Cut the tomatoes and the mozzarella ball into 1/4-inch thick slices.
3. Place the tomatoes and mozzarella slices onto a serving platter alternating between slices. Tuck basil leaves in between every few slices; smaller basil leaves can be just throw on top as garnish.
4. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the salad, followed by balsamic glaze.
5. Sprinkle the toasted chopped walnuts over the salad and serve.

Useful Tools for This Recipe

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Small pan

Recipe Tips + Tricks

1. When choosing your tomatoes, make sure they’re nice and ripe, and void of marks or soft spots. I prefer to use heirloom tomatoes—they taste the best in a Caprese. But you can use beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or any rip and ready tomato plucked from your own garden.
2. Avoid tomatoes with high water content, or you’ll end up with a very watery Caprese.
3. Sweet basil is preferred due to its slightly sweeter flavor, but regular basil works just fine.
4. Don’t confuse a balsamic glaze with balsamic vinegar! You can buy balsamic glaze at your local grocer or make your own by boiling balsamic vinegar until it’s reduced.
5. Not a fan of walnuts? You could use toasted almonds, pecans, or pine nuts instead.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

Other Refreshing Side Salads You’ll Love:

• Crunchy Greek Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Healthy Crab Meat Salad With Lime
• Smashed Cucumber Salad
• Citrus Avocado and Mackerel Salad

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5 from 5 votes

Caprese Salad With Toasted Walnuts

By: Dana Sandonato

The addition of warm toasted walnuts makes this Caprese salad stand out against the rest. A simple addition with tons of flavor.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1-2 large tomatoes, I prefer heirloom
• ▢ 8 oz fresh mozzarella
• ▢ A handful of basil leaves
• ▢ 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted then roughly chopped
• ▢ Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• ▢ Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about a 1-2 TBSP)
• ▢ Drizzle of balsamic glaze (about a 1-2 TBSP)

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Instructions 

• Heat a dry pan over medium-low heat. Add the walnut in a single layer and let the walnuts toast for about 5 minutes, or until aromatic and lightly browned. Shake the pan every once in a while to avoid burning. When the walnuts are done, set them aside to cool a bit, then roughly chop them.
• Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella ball into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices onto a serving platter in an alternating pattern. Tuck some basil leaves in between every few slices of tomato and mozzarella. Any smaller basil leaves can be used as a top garnish.
• Hit the salad with a bit of salt and pepper, then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze on top.
• Garnish with the chopped toasted walnuts and serve.

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