A beautiful too colorfully festive Caprese Christmas Tree! Made from fresh soft mozzarella, flavorful herby basil, vibrant tomatoes together with a sweetness as well as tangy balsamic glaze.
Easy Caprese Salad Christmas Tree Appetizer
Caprese salad is one of the easiest, tastiest Italian side dishes to prepare. And it’sec natural colors merely fall out to live and then perfectly Christmasy likewise and so it only makes feel to convey the ii things together for a deliciously festive dish making this cheery “Christmas tree”.
This tasty “tree” is political party perfect, makes enough for a crowd, doesn’t require any particular kitchen skills, together with it only needs a handful of ingredients. It’sec merely a quick too unproblematic, edible art projection that will be the utter of the vacation gathering.
It’second too a fun thing to brand together if y'all’ve got friends or family unit about to assist. Someone tin can slice patch the other individual assembles. Even kids tin help with the layering assembly.
So many reasons to add together this slowly Christmas side dish to your holiday card!
Caprese Christmas Tree Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh mozzarella: This works best amongst the long logs of mozzarella rather than fresh mozzarella balls.
- Tomatoes: Vine ripe tomatoes are a good pick hither for the wintertime season. Look for tomatoes about the same circumference as the mozzarella.
- Fresh basil: You will ask several big bunches for this to go enough leaves.
- Dried oregano: This tin live omitted if preferred. I merely like the extra hint of flavor.
- Extra virgin olive fossil oil: If desired you tin only serve this on the side for a cleaner option, in addition to function extra!
- Balsamic glaze: You can role shop-bought or homemade.
- Flakey ocean common salt in addition to dark pepper: I function Maldon ocean table salt hither which too mimics snow for decorating around the tree. Kosher salt will go also.
- Baguette: You’ll only purpose a small chunk for the tree. Extras tin can live drizzled alongside olive rock oil and toasted inward the oven for serving. I prefer sourdough here.
How to Make a Caprese Christmas Tree
- Take two of the slices of fresh mozzarella too cutting a star for the tiptop using a cookie cutter, stack the 2 stars together in addition to ready aside.
- On an extra big cutting board or serving tray begin shaping the bottom row of the tree (it volition live the widest row) past alternating as well as overlapping fresh mozzarella slices, love apple slices as well as basil (well-nigh half-dozen of each).
- Continue this procedure past aligning half dozen more or less more than rows higher up the bottom row forming a tall triangular cast (rows should become narrower each time).
- Finish the tree by adding the star on the superlative too the breadstuff on the bottom for the “tree stump”.
- Sprinkle oregano over tomato plant, cheese together with basil surface area then drizzle alongside olive rock oil too balsamic glaze. Finish with common salt and pepper to sense of taste. If desired sprinkle around the “tree” amongst flakey body of water salt to mimic snow.
How Long Can it Sit at Room Temp?
- This caprese Christmas tree should be served presently after preparing for best appearance and texture (room temp fresh mozzarella isn’t as skilful).
- Ingredients shouldn’t be at room temp longer than 2 hours from when they were removed from the refrigerator.
Helpful Tips
- Use the best fresh produce you lot can find. I know inward the winter it tin can live harder to find the highest character tomatoes. Vine ripe tomatoes are a adept selection because they can continue ripening good subsequently you’ve purchased them.
- You tin purchase pre-sliced mozzarella for this recipe besides. Places similar Costco even sell a ii pack together with it’sec cheaper this style.
- Use a thick balsamic glaze which will keep a cleaner appearance longer. I love Trader Joes.
- If yous don’t take such a big tree y'all tin can attempt using roma Lycopersicon esculentum slices since they are smaller too then cutting the fresh mozzarella slices inward half too use smaller basil leaves.
- If y'all don’t accept quite enough big basil leaves and so but function just about small leaves for layering here in addition to at that place in addition to sprinkle over sliced basil ribbons.
More Delicious Caprese Recipes to Try
Caprese Christmas Tree
A beautiful and colorfully festive Caprese Christmas Tree! Made from fresh soft mozzarella, flavorful herby basil, vibrant tomatoes together with a sugariness as well as tangy balsamic glaze.
Servings: xvi
Ingredients
- ii lbs. fresh mozzarella (logs), sliced into i/4-inch slices
- ii lbs medium vine ripe tomatoes, sliced into ane/iv-inch thick slices
- ii bunches fresh basil
- i tsp dried oregano (optional)
- two Tbsp extra virgin olive crude
- 2 Tbsp balsamic glaze
- Flakey sea table salt and freshly earth black pepper
- i (four-inch) sliced bagutte chunk, halved through thickness (role tiptop one-half)
Instructions
- Take two of the slices of fresh mozzarella together with cutting a star for the elevation using a cookie cutter, stack the ii stars together as well as set aside.
- On an extra large cutting board or serving tray start out shaping the bottom row of the tree (it volition be the widest row) by alternating and overlapping fresh mozzarella slices, Lycopersicon esculentum slices as well as basil (near half dozen of each).
- Continue this process by aligning half-dozen roughly more than rows to a higher place the bottom row forming a tall triangular form, rows should go narrower each time. Refrigerate whatsoever extra cheese or tomatoes you lot may accept left for some other role.
- Finish the tree by adding the star on the elevation in addition to the staff of life on the bottom for the "tree stump".
- Sprinkle oregano over tomato plant, cheese in addition to basil area and so drizzle with olive crude oil in addition to balsamic glaze. Finish with salt too pepper to sense of taste. If desired sprinkle around the "tree" amongst flakey ocean common salt to mimic snow.
- Serve presently afterwards preparing, ingredients shouldn't be at room temp longer than 2 hours and then when they were removed from the refrigerator.
Notes
- You can serve extra olive crude oil or balsamic glaze on the side. Or get out it off altogether and serve both on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Caprese Christmas Tree
Amount Per Serving
Calories 199
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 358mg16%
Potassium 179mg5%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1giv%
Sugar 2gii%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 857IU17%
Vitamin C 8mgten%
Calcium 294mg29%
Iron 0.4mgii%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates entirely. See full disclaimer here.