I made a Fresh Oregano Caprese Salad to go with this recipe I found on Pinterest. Boy was it delicious. Check it out here. Instead of using fresh basil I used fresh oregano leaves, as I had a bunch leftover. I don’t normally purchase fresh oregano. I often use dried oregano for many dishes. However, having a nice caprese salad with oregano was so tasty. It is light and refreshing for the summer but also vibrant in color for Christmas.

Ingredients

A simplistic dish that pairs well with soup or as an appetizer! To create this dish, you only need 3 ingredients! Not including pantry items, of course. First, you will need tomatoes, a mozzarella ball and oregano leaves. Feel free to use basil leaves if you have them on hand, as this is the traditional way of making caprese salad. Secondly, some pantry Items you will need are Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinaigrette or Glaze*, Salt and Pepper.

This appetizer salad is beyond delicious. It is perfect before diving into your main course. The amount of ingredients needed for this recipe vary depending on how large or small you would like to make your salad. For example, I get full quickly when I order an appetizer or if I am having a soup and salad I’ll have either a large salad and small soup or vice versa. Some can eat a whole salad and then a meal. If you are serving hors devours then you may want to serve smaller portions.

Did it Taste Any Different?

Oregano leaves are thick compared to basil leaves and need less watering when growing. It also lasts longer than basil. Fresh oregano has a mild taste compared to dried oregano I’ve noticed. Basil has more of a minty and peppery taste and oregano has a bolder, earthy taste. If you ever run out of basil at home or can’t find it in store, oregano is a great substitute for basil. Tasted the same if not better in this salad!

Balsamic Vinaigrette or Balsamic Glaze?

What’s the difference between balsamic vinaigrette or glaze. Many will argue they both taste they same. My taste buds tell me they taste the same. The difference is the way the balsamic is cooked. The vinaigrette slowly ages and the glaze becomes a glaze when the vinaigrette is simmered and sugar is added to it. The texture is thick, hence the name glaze. It also has a nice shiny look, which makes great for decorating plates. I chose to use the glaze as I ran out of vinaigrette. However, I preferred this choice as the thicker consistency of the glaze made the presentation a lot nicer than the vinaigrette would have.

Caprese Salad with Oregano

Recipe by Azilde ElizabethCourse: AppetizersCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2-4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Total time

10

minutes

An easy appetizer that goes well with soup!

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tomatoes, such as beef tomatoes

• Mozzarella ball, 4-8 oz

• 2-4 sprigs of fresh oregano, stems removed

• Olive Oil

• Balsamic Glaze*

• Salt

• Pepper

Directions

• Wash and dry the tomatoes and oregano leaves;
• Slice tomatoes and cheese. It is difficult to cut mozzarella thinly. Therefore, I slice the cheese and then cut them in half.
• Arrange 2-4 slices of tomatoes on each plate, overlapping. Layer the mozzarella cheese on top and lastly, layer some oregano leaves.
• Time to add the dressing. Drizzle some olive oil, Balsamic Glaze* and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

• *If you do not have balsamic glaze, use balsamic vinaigrette
• This salad serves 2-4 servings. Depending if you want an appetizer smaller dish for a party, you eat less or you can serve it as a main salad, served as you would order at a restaurant.

Enjoy!