It is a gorgeous summer day, and James and I wanted something light for lunch. We had some leftover crusty artisan bread (click here for recipe) and decided to make a lunch out of one of our favorite appetizers: easy summer caprese!
We had some fresh mozzarella, a few tomatoes that had seen better days, our trusty basil plant, and the leftover homemade bread. On a colder day, I would make make a toasty caprese sandwich (click here for recipe), but some days are just too warm for a grilled cheese!
A few notes: If you don’t have fresh mozzarella, you can use part of a block of mozzarella cheese (or even mozzarella cheese sticks). If you don’t have fresh basil, a pinch of dried basil will still be tasty! If you don’t have or want bread, this is delicious as a salad.
If you serve this as an appetizer, it will cost you approximately $0.60 per person (assuming you 4 servings). If you eat as a light meal, only plan on 2 servings. See the cost analysis below:
Cost Analysis:
Picture Tutorial:
Recipe:
Easy Summer Caprese Appetizer
An quick and easy appetizer perfect for a warm summer day.
Ingredients
- 1/2 loaf of bread (see artisan bread recipe)
- 3 ounces of mozzarella cheese (fresh mozzarella if you have it)
- 4 basil leaves, sliced (I keep a basil plant for economical fresh herbs)
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons olive oil + more for bread if desired
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine chopped tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil in a bowl.
- Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar to bowl.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Mix ingredients.
- Serve with slices of bread (cut into half or quarters) or as a salad. If you would like, you can toast the bread and serve this as bruschetta! Advise your guests to put the mixture on top of the bread for optimal deliciousness!
-Kristin
FRUGAL FIXES 
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