A Fresh Twist on Your Favorite Caprese Salad

This version, made with cherry tomatoes, delivers the flavors you love – year-round

by Sherry Rujikarn


Ask any summer produce lover what they miss most during the drab days of winter and invariably the answer will be “tomatoes,” followed by a wistful sigh. Juicy and sweet with the slightest tang, ripe tomatoes shine brightest in a Caprese salad—that gorgeous, more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts trio of tomato, basil, and mozzarella.

The dish’s exact origin story is still debated. Some say it was a mason’s invention, a post-WW1 show of patriotism, celebrating the colors of the Italian flag. Many others insist the recipe made its debut at a 1920s futurists’ conference, as a deconstructed, lightened-up version of heavier pasta dishes, perhaps one of the first ways the Mediterranean diet was popularized. Either way, one bite can transport you immediately to la dolce vita on the island of Capri.

Here, we’ve come up with a twist on this classic that works year-round, thanks to cherry tomatoes from your local market or grown indoors. Adding white beans turns the familiar salad into a dish that’s perfect as a dinner-party appetizer or a satisfying, stand-alone meal. Thick slices of toast soak up all the juices from the marinated tomatoes, the bread’s warmth contrasting with the cool tomato mixture. Basil is blended into a zippy vinaigrette that balances out the mozzarella’s richness. Spooning the beans and tomatoes on separately creates layers of flavor and texture, each bite its own meandering path to the Italian coast.

La dolce vita, indeed.

Caprese Toasts with White Beans

  • Serves 2 to 6
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Total time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
  • 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella ciliegine (cherry-size balls), cut into halves
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled (but kept whole)
  • 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup of packed basil leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 15-oz can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 large (1/2-inch-thick) slices crusty Italian bread or sourdough

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic clove, 2 tbsp olive oil, a few twists of black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  2. In a small blender or mini food processor, combine the basil leaves, vinegar, dried oregano, sugar, remaining 4 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Blend just until smooth. Transfer to an empty medium bowl.
  3. To the basil vinaigrette, add the beans and gently stir until the beans are well coated.
  4. Toast the bread slices.
  5. To serve, arrange still-warm bread slices on a large platter or individual plates. Remove the garlic clove from the tomato mixture, then spoon the tomato mixture on top of the bread, including any juices and oil at the bottom of the bowl. 
  6. Spoon the bean mixture on top, including any vinaigrette at the bottom of the bowl. Garnish with additional basil, if desired.

To make this dish ahead, marinate the tomatoes and mozzarella and make the basil vinaigrette and bean mixture. Refrigerate separately for up to 6 hours.

About the Writer

Sherry Rujikarn is a recipe developer, food writer, and content creator who’s contributed to NYTimes Cooking, Good Housekeeping, Yahoo! Life, House Beautiful, and Esquire. She lives in New York City with her husband and spaghetti-slurping toddler. When she’s not contemplating “what’s for dinner,” she is rooting for the Yankees and hunting for vintage treasures.