A bright & delicious fresh summer salad, this Steak Caprese Salad combines marinated tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and fresh basil with thinly sliced, tender steak all tucked into a bed of crisp Romaine. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar for a fantastic finish that creates a restaurant-worthy meal guaranteed to make everyone happy!
What is Caprese Salad?
A caprese salad is a simple layered summer salad of fresh tomatoes, sliced mozzarella and fresh basil leaves, topped with a little olive oil. It’s just about the most delicious summery thing around!
But amp up that classic tomato and fresh mozzarella salad with tender slices of juicy steak and the crunch of Romaine lettuce, and you have a quick and easy meal that you and your family will crave all summer long!
Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- steak of your choice (New York Strip Steaks are my favorite.)
- cherry tomatoes
- mozzarella pearls
- fresh basil
- olive oil
- garlic
- salt & coarse ground black pepper
- Romaine lettuce hearts
- balsamic vinegar
Recipe Additions & Substitutions: Flank, Skirt steak and Flat Iron steaks work really well for this dinner salad too.
Romaine lettuce offers a nice crunch that really complements the steak, but you can use any crisp salad greens or mix you like. Iceberg is great, but so is a spring mix!
When tomato season is in full swing, sliced heirloom tomatoes aren’t only beautiful in this salad, they are incredibly delicious.
Cherry tomatoes are the best choice for the rest of the year since they are mostly grown in hot houses and always have a delicious sweet taste.
Add thinly sliced red onion for an extra punch of flavor. Sliced avocados can be delicious too!
How to Make The Best Steak Caprese Salad
The marinated tomatoes, basil and mozarella are the heart of this dish. It’s their bright flavors that set this recipe apart from other steak salads and make it THE true salad of summer!
- Start with a Marinated Caprese Salad. To get started, combine minced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil to create a simple marinade. Toss in the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. Cover and place in the the refrigerator to let the marinating magic happen while you’re prep the rest of your salad.
- Prepare the Steak. I love using this easy Skillet Steak method for a perfect steak every time. But you can also fire up the grill a delicious grilled steak prepared just to your liking.
- Assemble the Salad. With steak resting and tomatoes and mozzarella marinating, it’s time finish this quick & easy meal and get it on the table! Chop the washed hearts of Romaine lettuce (throwing away the cores) and arrange it on a large serving platter. Thinly slice the steak and add it + the marinated caprese salad over the lettuce.
- Add some dressing. Finish with a drizzle of balsamice vineagar over the salad or let your guests add their own drizzle! I use this balsamic glaze recipe if I want to add just a touch of sweetness or add just that extra touch of special.
Recipe Notes
You can prepare the marinated tomato and mozzarella salad part of this recipe the day before for even more of that garlic/basil punch caprese recipes are known for.
How to Cook The Perfect Steak
Use a meat thermometer for the best steak results, remembering to remove your steak from the skillet or grill 5 degrees under your desired cook temp since the meat will continue to cook a little as it rests.
- rare = 125 degrees Fahrenheit
- medium rare = 135 degrees Fahrenheit
- medium = 145 degrees Fahrenheit
- medium well = 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- well done = 160 degrees Fahrenheit
What to Serve with Caprese Steak Salad
This Caprese Salad is a meal all unto itself. But if you’re looking for something delicious to add on the side, try:
- Louisiana Peel & Eat Shrimp
- Easy Stuffed Olive Cheese Bread
- Easy Italian Marinated Olives
- Southern Pimento Cheese Ball
- Whipped Feta with Honey Dip
This is definitely a meal that’s meant to be shared family-style with others. Whether it’s plucked from a platter for a quiet dinner of two or passed around the backyard dining table as a picnic, the seeds of sharing, laughter and meaningful moments are sure to sure bring a harvest of memories that will be some of your favorites.
Other Dinner Salads To Enjoy
- Marinated Shrimp & Peach Salad
- Summer Berry Salad with Pork Tenderloin
- Arugula & Melon Salad with Rotisserie Chicken
- Layered Muffuletta Salad
- Catalina Taco Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Steak Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls, separated
- 1.5-2 C halved cherry tomatoes
- â…“ C fresh basil, cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 hearts Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- 2 (12-16 oz) New York Strip steaks, prepared & thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or large measuring bowl, combine mozarella, halved tomatoes, sliced basil, minced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Cover and set aside to marinate while preparing steaks and lettuce.
- Salt and pepper steaks. Either grill of prepare in skillet to desired doneness. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly.
- While steaks are resting, chopped washed hearts of Romaine lettuce (throwing away the cores). Arrange chopped lettuce on a large platter. Add sliced steak and marinated caprese salad. Drizzle with balsamice vineagar and serve.
Nutrition
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