Christmas Candy Cane Caprese (Printable)

Festive holiday arrangement of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil in a candy cane shape

# What You Need:

→ Main Ingredients

01 - 3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
02 - 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
03 - 1 bunch fresh basil leaves

→ Dressing

04 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
06 - 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Alternate tomato and mozzarella slices on a large platter, forming a curved candy cane shape.
02 - Tuck fresh basil leaves between the tomato and mozzarella slices for color and flavor.
03 - Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil evenly over the entire salad.
04 - Drizzle balsamic glaze in a thin stream over the top of the arranged ingredients.
05 - Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get all the creamy, fresh flavors of classic Caprese but with a holiday twist that makes people actually excited about salad
  • It takes fifteen minutes start to finish, leaving you more time for the million other things on your holiday prep list
  • The presentation looks like you spent hours planning when really it's just arranging slices in a curve
02 -
  • Once dressed, this salad starts releasing liquid within an hour, so time it carefully or keep the dressing separate until serving
  • Room temperature ingredients taste dramatically better than cold ones, so take everything out of the fridge thirty minutes before assembly
03 -
  • Use a paper towel to gently blot excess moisture from tomato slices before arranging them
  • The candy cane shape works best on rectangular or oval platters, round ones make the curve awkward

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