Juicy tomatoes, tangy fresh mozzarella and fragrant basil come together to make this this flavorful and easy to make Mediterranean appetizer.
Caprese is probably the most “famous” Italian salad and so delicious. Fresh Mozzarella and ripe firm tomatoes mingle with aromatic basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Perfection. So why not transform it into an appetizer? Caprese skewers are basically a caprese salad on a stick. Cherry tomatoes along with small fresh mozzarella ball and a few basil leaves are stacked on a long toothpick.
My mother-in-law who is French, has been doing this forever. She always serves these with the apéritif. Very simple, very tasty, and very healthy. And they are great because they don’t need any heating, they take minutes to assemble, and you can make them ahead of time.
A Healthy hors d’oeuvre
I love these not only because they taste good, but they are also great to have before a meal since they are fairly light, and you get some extra veggies in.
Caprese Skewers Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes: You will need cherry tomatoes for this recipe. I’ve used a Greek variety here that has the shape of an acorn.
- Mozzarella cheese: You want to use fresh mozzarella cheese balls. They do come in different sizes. Ideally you want to find ciliegine, which are bite-sized mozzarella balls. If you can’t find mozzarella in this form, you can also just get regular mozzarella and cut in bite-size cubes.
- Fresh Basil: Basil is so aromatic and gives a discreet peppery flavor to this appetizer, complementing the fresh mozzarella.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You only need a bit.
- Thick Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper: Just a bit to season before serving.
* I don’t add balsamic vinegar, it is not included in the authentic caprese salad, and it overwhelms the other flavors.
How to Make Caprese Skewers
- Wash the basil and cherry tomatoes and dry.
- Pat the mozzarella balls with a paper towel so that they are not too wet.
- Assemble the caprese skewers in the following order: tomato-folded basil leaf-mozzarella ball-folded basil leaf-tomato. (You can also do only 1 tomato for a smaller skewer).
- Place on a serving platter.
- Right before serving, sprinkle with thick seas salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Can you make caprese skewers ahead of time?
Of course! That is one of the reasons I love these appetizers. You can assemble them 4-5 hours before serving. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Caprese Skewer Recipe Tips
- Use the freshest ingredients. Since this is a cold appetizer with a very simple preparation and no sauces to “hide”, you want to use the very best you can find.
- Do not serve cold right out of the refrigerator, otherwise you won’t be able to taste all the flavors. Caprese salad is generally served at room temperature.
- Try not to add other condiments such as balsamic vinegar glaze, pesto, garlic, spices. They hide and overwhelm the flavor of the tomatoes and mozzarella.
More Cherry Tomato Recipes
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Feta Cheese and Crispy Croutons – Cherry tomatoes roasted with herbs, feta and homemade croutons
Mediterranean Potato Salad with Herbs and Tomatoes – Easy, filling and delicious
Authentic Baked Feta and Tomatoes – A Tik Tok favorite-the Greek version
Greek Salad Skewers – The best ingredients of a Greek salad on a skewer
Cherry Tomato Basil Mozzarella Pasta – tomatoes and fresh melted mozzarella come together in this delicious pasta dish
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Caprese Skewers
Ingredients
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 medium basil leaves
- 12 mozzarella balls
- Extra olive oil to taste
- Thick sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the mozzarella balls with a paper towel so that they are not too wet.
- Assemble the caprese skewers in the following order: tomato-folded basil leaf-mozzarella ball-folded basil leaf-tomato. (You can also do only 1 tomato for a smaller skewer).
- Place on a serving platter.
- Right before serving sprinkle with thick seas salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
You can assemble them 4-5 hours before serving. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. When ready to serve season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Caprese Skewer Recipe Tips
- Use the freshest ingredients. Since this is a cold appetizer with a very simple preparation and no sauces to “hide”, you want to use the very best you can find.
- Do not serve cold right out of the refrigerator, otherwise you won’t be able to taste all the flavors. Caprese salad is generally served at room temperature.
- Try not to add other condiments such as balsamic vinegar glaze, pesto, spices. They hide and overwhelm the flavor of the tomatoes and mozzarella.
Recipe looks so great and love fresh tomatoes and basil. Do you use fresh basil or have you ever used the frozen cubes that are in freezer section? I don’t have any fresh basil but wonder if frozen would still work.
So easy! Love these, thanks for the idea Elena!