Name: Easy Spinach Caprese Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 400 grams cherry tomatoes; 200 grams mozzarella cheese; 120 grams baby spinach (4 cups); 20 grams basil; 30 ml extra virgin olive oil (2 tbsp); 15 ml balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp); 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1/4 tsp dry origanum

spinach caprese salad — Caprese Salad with Baby Spinach

Classic Italian caprese salad is made with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and balsamic, seasoned with salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and olive oil. In this variation of a caprese salad we add crunchy spinach leaves and use cherry tomatoes. This is a quick and simple recipe with an incredible flavor profile. Healthy ingredients with a long list of benefits, limited fat, carbs and a delicious side that goes with practically anything.

How to Make this Caprese Salad with Spinach

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, chop the basil and baby spinach into big pieces. Make a simple balsamic vinaigrette by mixing olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper well. In a large salad bowl make a bed of baby spinach and basil, add cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella to the bowl. Splash with the simple vinaigrette and toss.

making spinach caprese salad — Making spinach caprese salad. Placing the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella on the spinach and basil bed.

Making a Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This easy vinaigrette is made by mixing the ingredients below well by shaking in a jar, just make sure the lids seals well and shake.

extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
parsley dry
oregano dry
salt & pepper

This easy balsamic vinaigrette is made by mixing the ingredients below well by shaking in a jar.

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Caprese Salad Ingredients

Tomatoes

The salad is just the best with fresh, ripe tomatoes, the way the Italians make a caprese salad. Cherry tomatoes work very well and make a very good looking salad. The cherry tomato is a type of small tomato, that vary from thumb tip size to about the size of a golf ball. Different colors and shapes of cherry tomatoes vary in sweetness and acid. Orange or yellow tomatoes often taste milder and less acidic than red tomatoes. Round cherry tomatoes tend to be sweeter than grape tomatoes.

Baby Spinach

The main variation between this salad and a traditional caprese salad is the addition of baby spinach. Baby spinach is simply young spinach leaves that are harvested before they fully mature. The texture and flavor of baby spinach is more delicate than mature spinach and makes a great salad green.

Basil

Basil and tomato is an amazing combination in salad. The floral aroma along with the sweet and spicy flavors of the basil works well with tomato. Use fresh basil.

Mozzarella

Mozzarella is delicious in caprese salad and is a healthy cheese. Use mozzarella packed in water. The little mozzarella is a good size to use. Larger mozzarella pieces can simply be cut into smaller slices.

Possible Variations in this Spinach Caprese Salad

Change the cheese – feta is also very nice in this salad, see our Classic and Healthy Tomato, Feta and Basil Salad
Change the vinaigrette – Use red wine vinegar in the vinaigrette instead of balsamic.
Add some protein – Smoked salmon, shrimps or chicken are all great to bulk up this salad. See our Keto Friendly Smoked Salmon Avocado Salad with Eggs
Change the leaves – Swop the baby spinach with arugula, the peppery flavor is a nice option.

Nutrition

From the nutritional information you can see this is a low carb, low calorie salad that should fit perfect in most calorie restricted diets. This is an approximate that was calculated using an online tool. It is recommended you confirm with your favorite online calculator.