A Caprese Salad with Parma Ham
This Caprese Salad with Parma Ham is so simple yet such a delight with fresh ingredients and herbs. It's easy to make in minutes for friends as part of a casual meal. This recipe is for 6 as an appetizer or side dish or for 4 as main dish.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 500 g Mozzarella cheese either with water buffalo or cow milk (see notes)
- 3 tomatoes large, fresh and firm
- 200 g Parma ham thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful basil fresh - See notes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and slice them in thick slices. They are best at least 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) thick. You can remove some of the extra seeds to avoid the salad being extra liquidy.
- Drain the mozzarella cheese. Slice the mozzarella cheese into round discs with the same thickness (approximately) as the tomatoes.
- Alternate between the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese as you lay them on a dish or platter. If you prefer you can also add slices of Parma ham as you alternate. Otherwise, place the Parma ham in an attractive manner on the dish or platter. I like to keep the Parma ham separate in case some guests do not want to eat it.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and Parma ham. Tear the fresh basil leaves on top and spread around dish or platter. If you are using dried basil, make sure to sprinkle it all over. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the dish or platter sit for about 15 minutes before you serve it. The salt and herbs will help bring out the flavors of the other ingredients before the salad is served. Enjoy!
Notes
- There are many kinds of mozzarella cheese. There is the fresh soft type, the medium firm type, and the firmest type often used for baking lasagna and similar dishes. Choose the medium firm type as it will holds its shape the best. The mozzarella cheese made from water buffalo milk has a stronger taste than the cheese made with cow milk. For some, the water buffalo version is an acquired taste.
- In the summer it's best to use fresh basil leaves. At other times of year I've used dried basil instead and this salad has been almost the same. Remember to use about 1/3 the amount of dried basil as you would fresh basil.