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Caprese Salad Appetizer- An Easy Way To Make This Traditional Salad

I absolutely love this Caprese Salad Appetizer recipe! All the flavors of an iconic salad, but made in minutes in an easy to eat format.

It is as simple as placing a cherry or grape tomato on a toothpick or small skewer. Then add a basil leaf and a mini Mozzarella ball onto the skewer and slide them so that the basil leaf is smashed between the two.

All that is left to do is to drizzle a Balsamic reduction sauce over top and your appetizer is ready!

It is the perfect appetizer for two, because you can assemble the individual ingredients to make as many, or as few as you would like.

handheld caprese salad
Caprese salad appetizers are a great way to enjoy the taste of a caprese salad, but in an easy to eat format without the worry of leftovers.

Caprese Salad Appetizer

INGREDIENTS

  • Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
  • Mini Mozzarella Balls*
  • Basil Leaves
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • Balsamic reduction

*Mini Mozzarella balls can typically be found in the speciality, refrigerated cheese section of your local grocery store. Most often they are found in a round plastic container that is filled with liquid.

Balsamic Reduction Ingredients

  • Honey
  • Balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

To start assembling your Caprese Salad Appetizer, first determine how many Mozzarella balls that you will need.

Depending on the size of your Mozzarella balls, you may need to cut them in half so that they are in manageable bite sized pieces.

Therefore, you may need 3 that you cut in half. Or you may need 6 if they are tiny balls of cheese.

mini mozzarella balls
Depending on the size of your mini Mozzarella balls, you may need to cut them in half to make them into manageable bite size pieces.

Once you have your ingredients, begin by sliding a Mozzarella ball onto a toothpick or skewer. You can use plain toothpicks, or you can purchase garnish or appetizer toothpicks that are just a little longer.

Next, fold a basil leaf in half and piece it in the middle and slide it next to the Mozzarella ball.

Then add either a cherry or grape tomato to the skewer. I prefer to pierce the tomato through the side rather than end to end.

Slide the tomato next to the basil leaf so that all 3 ingredients are tightly packed. Set aside and repeat until all of the caprese salad appetizers are made.

Place each skewer onto a serving platter and then sprinkle each one with salt and pepper.

Finally, drizzle a balsamic reduction on top of each caprese skewer.

You can purchase balsamic reduction at most grocery stores. However, it is easy to make your own.

balsamic reduction
Balsamic reduction is thicker and sweeter than balsamic vinegar. You can purchase the reduction, or make your own with just 2 simple ingredients.

How to Make Balsamic Reduction

Add the honey and balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and then bring the mixture to a simmer.

Continue to let it slowly simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens. This should take approximately 5 minutes.

However, you will know when the reduction is ready when you place a spoon in the mixture and it coats the back of the spoon.

Enjoy! Mary

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For other delicious appetizers for two, be sure to browse through our Appetizer Recipe page.

caprese salad skewers
Don’t just limit yourself to using small toothpicks for this recipe. You can use your standard skewers and make a larger appetizer if you prefer.
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caprese salad appetizer

Caprese Salad Appetizer

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 9 minutes

Caprese salad ingredients made into an easy to eat appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 6 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
  • 3 Mini Mozzarella Balls*
  • 6 Basil Leaves
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • Balsamic reduction

Balsamic Reduction Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbs honey

Instructions

Depending on the size of your Mozzarella balls, you may need to cut them in half so that they are in manageable bite sized pieces.

Slide a tomato, basil and mozzarella ball on a toothpick or small skewer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Drizzle balsamic reduction on top of each caprese skewer.

!Balsamic Reduction Instructions

Add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer let it reduce and thicken. The reduction is ready when you place a spoon in the mixture and it coats the back of the spoon.

Notes

*You will need 3-6 mini Mozzarella balls, depending on the size. You want the Mozzarella in bite size pieces, therefore if they are tiny balls, then you will need 6. Or cut 3 larger balls in half to make a total of 6.

Recipe provided by iCookfortwo.com

Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 86Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 11mgSodium 142mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 0gSugar 10gProtein 3g

Nutritional Information is to be used as a general guideline only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the types and brands of the products used.

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