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Patriotic Caprese Salad

Patriotic Caprese Salad with fresh strawberries, mozzarella rounds, and abundant blueberries layered with basil, finished with olive oil and a balsamic glaze zigzag. No cooking required—slice-and-layer for juicy, creamy, red-white-blue presentation.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 360
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 1 lb fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced into rounds
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method
 

Prep the fruit and basil
  1. Wash and dry the fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, and fresh basil leaves thoroughly so excess moisture won’t make the plate watery.
  2. Hull and slice the fresh strawberries into thick, even pieces about 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Slice the fresh mozzarella into rounds roughly the same thickness as the strawberries.
Layer the salad
  1. On a wide serving platter, alternate fresh mozzarella rounds and fresh strawberries across the plate, slightly overlapping each piece.
  2. Tuck fresh basil leaves between the mozzarella and strawberry slices as you layer.
  3. Scatter fresh blueberries generously across the top and in any gaps between the layers so they look abundant.
Finish and serve
  1. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil evenly over the entire salad.
  2. Finish with a generous zigzag drizzle of balsamic glaze across the top.
  3. Sprinkle flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper over the salad.
  4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate uncovered for up to 30 minutes before serving; do not assemble more than 1 hour ahead.

Notes

Pro tip: dry the basil and berries well (or pat again right before assembling) to prevent a watery, diluted glaze. Refrigerate uncovered up to 30 minutes for best texture; not recommended to freeze. For a dairy-light option, swap fresh mozzarella for marinated fresh mozzarella-style plant-based slices and keep the same olive oil and balsamic glaze.