🥪 What Make This Recipe So Good
This sandwich recipe is super simple and super easy. Flavor-wise, though, it’s over-the-top! It’s got everything we all love about a classic caprese salad. Juicy tomato, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, tangy balsamic. There’s also a rich pesto spread and earthy olive oil. Oh, and the general heavenliness that is a baguette. This sandwich may just ruin caprese salads for you… sorry about that. This sandwich is a great option for anyone who meal preps! You can wrap a sandwich in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it in an airtight container. A baggie works, too! Now you’ve got an easy grab-and-go option. If you want it toasted, you can totally do that right before eating. I mean, if you have access to a broiler, a panini press, a grill pan, or an air fryer, that is. My caprese sandwich is naturally vegetarian, but you can easily add meat if you want! Shaved or sliced grilled chicken would work beautifully. You can also keep the sandwich as-is and serve it with a light but satisfying side, like a small antipasto salad or a helping of Mediterranean chickpea salad.
👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips
Whether it’s a caprese salad or a caprese sandwich, the quality of your ingredients really matters. That’s true for any recipe that only uses a few ingredients, actually. If you use a low-quality ingredient in a dish with only 4 ingredients, you’ll notice it more than in a dish with 20 ingredients. For the best, most flavorful tomatoes, don’t refrigerate them! Just keep them at room temperature. They’ll be fine, I promise. If you slice into your tomato and find that it’s pretty watery, or you feel like it won’t have much flavor, you can still salvage it. Lay the tomato slices on a wire rack over a baking pan (it makes for easier clean-up!). Sprinkle salt over the top of each slice. Let them rest 10 minutes or so, then gently pat away any drawn-out water with paper towels. Flip the slices over and repeat. You can quickly rinse off any excess salt if you want, then make your caprese sandwich. The tomato slices should now taste much more tomato-y! For the mozzarella, don’t look for a brick or a block or even slices of part-skim. You want the fresh stuff. The kind that’s soft and packed in liquid and typically found in the specialty or deli section. It’s entirely optional, but if you can find it, I recommend using mozzarella di bufala. It’s mozzarella made with water buffalo milk, and it’s super creamy and rich.
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