Tonight’s Dinner: Caprese bread salad recipe

When most people think of combining fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, they think of a Caprese sandwich. But for those hot nights when you’re not in the mood to cook, those same ingredients can make a delicious salad.

I’m a serious carnivore. When it comes to meat, I have no problem eating anything from pork, to steak to chicken. But every so often, I like to put down the steak knife and ingest something that has a little more green in it. Something without a single piece of meat anywhere in the dish.

One of my favorite go-to vegetarian choices is the Caprese sandwich. There’s nothing better than fresh tomatoes (preferably heirloom), buffalo mozzarella, basil and a little olive oil on a nice piece of crusty bread. It’s rich, full of flavor and cleanses the palate so I’m ready to dive back into my meat-eating tendencies. So when Parents magazine suggested turning this delicious lunch option into a dinner salad, I jumped at the thought. This salad would be perfect for those hot days when I’d had a big lunch or wasn’t in the mood to cook. And because the tomatoes and bread are grilled, the salad has a fire-roasted flavor that heightens the whole dish.

Caprese bread salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 slices crusty bread
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound buffalo mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over the slices of bread and grill for about two minutes per side.
2. While the bread is grilling, place the tomatoes in a tin foil pan, drizzle some olive oil over the tomatoes and place on the grill for two minutes, or until charred.
3. Cut the grilled bread into half-inch cubes and slice the tomatoes in half.
4. Mix together the bread, tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella and basil in a large bowl. Drizzle the remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over the tomato mixture. Toss to coat and serve.

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