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A caprese salad arranged in the shape of a candy cane on a cream colored rectangular serving platter with gold salad servers.

Festive Christmas Caprese Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Vanessa | Maple + Mango
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 0 min
  • Total Time: 10 min
  • Yield: varies
  • Category: Salad, Appetizer
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Christmas Caprese Salad!  Serve it as a holiday salad or as a simple Christmas appetizer.  This fun and festive candy cane caprese is always a hit around the holidays and the best part is that it’s super easy to make and can be assembled in minutes!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 23 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 log fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (see notes)
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Balsamic glaze, for drizzling
  • Flaky sea salt (like Maldon salt)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Assemble: On a large platter or board, overlap the tomato slices, mozzarella slices and fresh basil leaves in an alternating pattern to form a candy cane shape.  See the pictures in the post for a visual.
  2. Dress: Right before serving, drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic glaze and season with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Enjoy!

Notes

  • Mozzarella: I like to use a log of fresh mozzarella since it is easy to slice up evenly.  You can also slice up a ball of fresh mozzarella or large bocconcini (not baby size).
  • Adjust quantity: The listed quantities will produce a Candy Cane Caprese the size shown in the photos.  Use more or less tomatoes and fresh mozzarella to create the size you want.  This is a super flexible recipe!
  • Balsamic Glaze: You can make your own balsamic glaze or purchase one.  I used the Nonna Pia’s Classic Balsamic Glaze which is delicious and made from quality ingredients. (Find it on Amazon or Well.ca)
  • Make an appetizer board: Turn this salad into an easy Christmas appetizer by serving on a wooden board with crostini (toasted baguette slices) on the side and the olive oil and balsamic glaze in little bowls.  Guests can then build their own caprese crostini.