Caprese Salad

Simple and delicious caprese salad recipe with pesto dressing will wow any crowd.

Caprese salad is very simple to make, yet packs wonderful flavour. With fresh mozzarella and sweet cherry tomatoes tossed with a light basil pesto dressing, it can easily become a main dish for lunch, or pair well with your favourite pasta as a side salad.

If serving as a main dish, try roasting the tomatoes in the oven or on a barbecue to amplify the sweetness and add a slight smokiness that will go perfectly with the mozzarella. Don't forget to roast up some garlic along with the tomatoes to use in the dressing.

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TIP: To always have roasted garlic on hand, I pop an entire bulb of garlic wrapped in foil with a few drops of olive oil into the oven anytime I roast other vegetables.

TIP: This salad can also be made with roasted cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes.

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Ingredients

(Makes 6 servings)

• 4 cups arugula, packed

• 32 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 9oz (250g) small fresh mozzarella balls (or sliced mozzarella)

• 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

pesto dressing:

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup parmigiana Reggiano, ground

• 1/4 cup walnuts, crushed

• 2 large cloves garlic, roasted

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Directions

In a large bowl combine the arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and onions. Toss and set aside.

In a food processor, add the basil leaves and pulse them until they are finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Plate the salad and drizzle on the dressing.

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Nutritional Information Per Serving:

total calories = 267.5 | total fat = 23.22g | saturated fat = 8.33g | cholesterol = 37.38mg | sodium = 168.71mg | net carbohydrates = 7.02g | dietary fibre = 1.85g | sugars = 5.14g | protein = 7.43g