Caprese Salad with Salted Tomatoes and Balsamic Reduction

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A five-ingredient salad has nowhere to hide, so every step matters: pick heavy, fragrant tomatoes, salt them ahead so they season themselves and release sweet juice, and simmer real balsamic down to a glossy syrup instead of squeezing it from a bottle. Torn basil, milky fresh mozzarella at room temperature, and a good peppery olive oil finish it. This is the fine-dining version of a dish most people rush — it takes 20 minutes of mostly waiting.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb ripe heirloom or vine tomatoes (about 3 large or 4 medium)
• 3/4 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to finish
• 12 oz fresh mozzarella in water, or 2 balls burrata
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 tbsp good extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar of Modena (a mid-range bottle, not the cheapest)
• 1 tsp honey (optional, for thinner vinegars)

Instructions

1. Take the mozzarella out of the refrigerator and let it sit in its liquid at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cold mozzarella tastes like nothing; at room temperature it turns milky and sweet. Do this first, then start everything else.
2. Choose your tomatoes by weight and smell: a good tomato feels heavy for its size and smells green and sweet at the stem end. Never refrigerate them — cold below 50°F kills the aroma compounds permanently.
3. Core the tomatoes and cut them into 1/3-inch thick slices or thick wedges, depending on shape. Lay them in a single layer on a rimmed plate or small sheet pan.
4. Sprinkle the tomatoes evenly with 3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt and let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. They will bead with juice and taste dramatically more tomato-like. Do not rinse or drain — that juice becomes part of the dressing.
5. While the tomatoes salt, make the reduction. Pour the balsamic into a small saucepan (a light-colored interior helps you judge color) and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Do not let it boil hard.
6. Simmer 8 to 12 minutes, swirling occasionally, until reduced by about half to 3 to 4 tablespoons. It's ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a spatula drawn through leaves a trail for a second. Stir in the honey if using. Remember it thickens considerably as it cools — pull it slightly looser than you want. If it sets too stiff, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water.
7. Pour the reduction into a small bowl and let it cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
8. Drain the mozzarella and pat it dry with paper towels. Tear it into rough 1 to 1.5-inch pieces with your hands rather than slicing — torn edges catch oil and look far better than clean cuts. If using burrata, leave each ball whole to break open at the table.
9. Arrange the tomatoes on a wide platter, overlapping slightly, and spoon any accumulated juice from the plate over them. Tuck the mozzarella between and around the tomatoes.
10. Tear the basil leaves by hand just before serving (cutting with a knife bruises and blackens them) and scatter over the top, tucking a few leaves underneath.
11. Drizzle the olive oil generously over everything, then drizzle the cooled balsamic reduction in thin ribbons — you want maybe 2 tablespoons total on the salad, not all of it. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt on the mozzarella only and plenty of cracked black pepper. Serve immediately at room temperature, with bread for the juices.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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