Caprese Salad

If you are building out a week of meals around what is already in season at CedarKart, Caprese Salad is a solid place to start. It is rated easy to make, takes about 10 minutes total, and serves 4.

Most of what you need for this recipe comes from CedarKart's Fresh Produce department, along with a handful of pantry basics you likely already have on hand. The full ingredient list below reflects amounts for 4 servings — scale up or down as needed.

What you'll need

Roma Tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Balsamic glaze
Olive oil

Prep time runs about 10 minutes, with no additional cook time required, for a total of about 10 minutes from start to table. This recipe is rated Easy, so it works well whether you are new to cooking or just short on time.

Tips before you start

This is a forgiving recipe in the sense that small substitutions rarely ruin it. If a specific brand or cut is not in stock, the store team can usually point you toward a close substitute, and most of the ingredients here have a reasonable stand-in already in a typical kitchen.

It also helps to read through the full ingredient list once before shopping, since a few items — like olive oil — are easy to forget if you are working from memory instead of a written list. CedarKart's search bar makes it quick to check whether a specific item is in stock before you leave home.

How to make it

Start by prepping every ingredient on the list — wash and chop any produce, measure out pantry items, and bring anything refrigerated to room temperature if the recipe calls for it. Working with everything already prepped means the actual cooking moves at a steady pace instead of stopping and starting.

Because this recipe does not require active cooking, most of the work is in assembly and ratios. Combine ingredients in the order listed, taste before serving, and adjust seasoning to your preference — it is easier to add a little more salt, acid, or sweetness at the end than to correct an overseasoned batch.

If you are making this ahead, keep any components that add crunch or freshness separate until just before serving so they do not go soft or watery sitting in the refrigerator.

What to serve alongside it

Caprese Salad pairs well with something simple on the side rather than another heavy dish — a green salad, a piece of crusty bread from the bakery department, or a light seasonal vegetable. If you are feeding a crowd, doubling the recipe is usually more reliable than trying to stretch a single batch, since ratios of seasoning and liquid do not always scale down cleanly for smaller portions.

Storage and leftovers

This dish reheats better than most, which makes it a good candidate for meal prep. Store portions in individual containers so lunches or quick dinners are ready to grab without extra dishes later in the week.

Common questions

Can I make Caprese Salad ahead of time? In most cases, yes — prep the ingredients a day ahead and store them separately, then finish the recipe closer to serving time for the best texture and flavor.

What if I can't find Roma Tomatoes? Check with a CedarKart staff member for a close substitute in the Fresh Produce department, or search the online catalog for similar items before your trip.

Why this recipe works

Part of what makes this a good weeknight option is how little cleanup it leaves behind. Most of the ingredients come from one or two departments, which also makes it easy to build a quick shopping list before you head to the store.

Like most of the recipes we feature, Caprese Salad is built around ingredients that are easy to find at a neighborhood grocery store rather than a specialty shop. If you would rather skip the shopping trip entirely, you can build a basket for this recipe directly on the CedarKart site and submit a pickup request — browse to the Fresh Produce department, add what you need, and confirm your order online. There is no account required and no online payment collected; you simply pay when you arrive at the register.

That said, shopping in person still has an advantage for a recipe like this one: you can see and choose individual pieces of produce or cuts of meat rather than trusting a random pick from the shelf. If freshness matters more to you than speed, it is worth the short trip to 6213 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028 to pick things out yourself, especially for the roma tomatoes that anchors the whole dish.

For more ideas along these lines, browse the rest of our recipe collection, or check the seasonal produce guide for tips on choosing the freshest ingredients for whatever you are cooking next.