Description
A festive Halloween Caprese Salad featuring fresh heirloom tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and spooky olive decorations. This vibrant and healthy appetizer combines classic Italian flavors with fun Halloween-themed garnishes like olive spiders and candy eyes, perfect for a party centerpiece or a seasonal snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced or in small balls
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 8–10 black olives, pitted
Dressings and Garnishes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Edible candy eyes or mini mozzarella pieces for eyes
- Small cookie cutter (bat, ghost, or pumpkin shape – optional)
Instructions
- Arrange the Base: Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a large serving platter, alternating and slightly overlapping them to create an appealing layered look. Tuck fresh basil leaves between the slices to add bursts of herbal freshness.
- Create Festive Shapes (Optional): Using small cookie cutters, cut some mozzarella slices into festive Halloween shapes like ghosts, bats, or pumpkins. This adds a playful touch to your salad presentation.
- Make Spooky Olive Creatures: To create spooky olive spiders or bats, slice olives in half to form the bodies and cut thin strips from olives for legs or wings. Attach edible candy eyes or tiny mozzarella dots to the olive bodies to make fun, creepy creatures. Place these olive decorations strategically on top of the mozzarella or tomato slices.
- Dress the Salad: Drizzle the entire salad evenly with balsamic glaze and a light touch of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste to enhance the flavors.
- Serve Immediately: Present the salad right away to maintain freshness and enjoy as a festive Halloween appetizer or a healthy side dish.
Notes
- For a pumpkin-colored twist, use orange tomatoes instead of red.
- Add a drizzle of pesto for an extra layer of flavor.
- This salad is best served immediately to keep the fresh ingredients vibrant and crisp.
- You can customize olive creatures with different shapes and sizes for more fun variety.
- This dish is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, ideal for accommodating diverse diets.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 salad
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
