Anti-Inflammatory Strawberry Caprese Salad

This Strawberry Caprese Salad is a fun and vibrant twist on the classic Italian dish, with juicy, ripe strawberries standing in for tomatoes. The natural sweet-tart flavor of strawberries pairs just as well with creamy fresh mozzarella as tomatoes normally do. Beyond flavor, this salad offers vitamin C–rich strawberries to help reduce inflammation as well as mozzarella, which provides protein and calcium. Whether you enjoy this salad as a side dish or top it with chicken or white beans for a main dish, you’ll love this salad at any time. Read on for our best tips and tricks for making this 10-minute salad perfectly every time.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Hulling strawberries is a technique that removes just the green stem of the strawberry, preserving the most amount of the fruit at the top. Use a paring knife and cut a circle around the stem with the tip of the knife facing inwards so the stem can easily pop out.
• Mozzarella cheese pearls are convenient and easy to use, but if you can’t find them, simply cube or tear a larger ball of mozzarella into bite-size pieces instead.
• Whole basil leaves make the presentation special. Smaller basil leaves are preferred. If you have only large leaves, feel free to tear them into smaller pieces.

Nutrition Notes

• Strawberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, two nutrients that can help lower chronic inflammation. If left unchecked, chronic inflammation can increase the risk of many chronic diseases. The heart-healthy berry can also support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Strawberries also contain a high amount of fiber to support digestion. 
• Fresh mozzarella cheese adds protein to this salad. This cheese is also lower in sodium than other cheeses, so it’s a great choice if you’re watching your sodium intake. Mozzarella also contains calcium, phosphorus and zinc, which all support bone health. 
• Olive oil may be used in a small quantity here, but incorporating the healthy oil into your diet regularly may have benefits. Olive oil contains phytochemicals that may reduce the risk of cancer, while the oleic acid in the oil may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.