My little brother works the farmers markets each weekend selling berries from a local farm. A few weeks ago he brought me back a bag of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from the Salt lake market and I knew I had to do something special with them. I mean, my brothers don’t just give presents to people for no reason. The phrase “it’s in the mail” has a special meaning in our family.
So to honor this gift of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, my favorite variety, I decided to make my favorite tomato-showcasing dish. Caprese Salad.
Caprese has always been number one on my list of favorite salads. When I want to serve it as a main course, I bulk it up by adding grilled chicken and pairing it with hearty heirloom tomatoes for a more meaty texture.
The chicken is simple. Coated in olive oil, salt and pepper, I grill it and let it cool slightly before slicing it and layering it against freshly sliced tomatoes, slivers of creamy Burrata(or fresh mozzarella will do the trick), then drizzling it with a balsamic reduction, olive oil. I like to top it off with coarse ground pepper, coarse, salt, and fresh basil leaves.
Balsamic reduction is something I like to always have made in my fridge. It stays good for ages and makes a fantastic condiment for so many things.
A simple drizzle of balsamic vinegar by itself will work just fine for this salad if you aren’t up for making a reduction(not that it’s hard!)
Assemble this salad shortly before serving as the liquids from the tomatoes, chicken and cheese tend to muddle and not look quite as pretty after sitting for awhile.
- ½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar.
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Coarse Salt, to taste
- Coarse Ground Pepper, to taste
- 3 large Heirloom Tomatoes, thickly sliced
- 1 large Ball Burrata, thickly sliced
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to garnish
- Salt and pepper, to garnish
- Fresh Basil Leaves, to garnish
- Place the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until reduced by half and thickened slightly. Pour into a small bowl or cup and let cool to room temperature.
- Pound out both chicken breasts to about ⅓" thickness. Coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper and grill on both sides until cooked through. Place on a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice each breast into 2-3 pieces.
- To assemble: On a platter, layer slices of chicken, tomato, and cheese. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic reduction over the top. Sprinkle coarse ground pepper and salt on top to taste. Finish with a sprinkling of fresh basil leaves.
