Caprese Sandwich - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

The best part of summer has to be fresh garden tomatoes. You can’t beat a ripe, juicy tomato right from the vine. I love making bruschetta, pico de gallo, tomato salads, roasted tomatoes, tomato basil soup, and of course the classic Caprese Sandwich.

A Caprese Sandwich always hits the spot on a hot summer day. There is no cooking required and the flavors are SO fresh!

Start with toasted bread and then layer it up with goodies. Pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, a little bit of arugula, basil leaves, and finish with a drizzle of high quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. SO simple and SO good!

This sandwich screams summer and is a MUST make during tomato season. Make for lunch, dinner, or take on a picnic!

Ingredients

• Ciabatta bread–use a serrated knife to cut in half lengthwise. I like to grill or toast the bread so it doesn’t get soggy.
• Olive oil–for brushing the bread and drizzling.
• Basil pesto– I like to use our homemade basil pesto, but store bought is fine too. Pro tip-keep pesto in the freezer so you always have it on hand.
• Fresh mozzarella cheese–fresh mozzarella is the BEST! Don’t use part skim mozzarella cheese for this sandwich.
• Tomatoes– use the best tomatoes you can find, garden tomatoes are the best! Slice them into thick slices.
• Arugula– I like to add arugula for a peppery kick and it’s always good to get more greens!
• Basil leaves-fresh basil leaves are a MUST for a caprese sandwich.
• Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze– for drizzling!

How to Make a Caprese Sandwich

• Preheat a grill pan to high heat.
• Rub each half of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread, cut side down, for 3-5 minutes or until light grill marks appear.
• Add the top half of the ciabatta and gently push down on the sandwich. Use a serrated knife to cut into sandwiches. Enjoy!

• Spread the insides of the bread with pesto.
• Add the fresh mozzarella slices to the bottom piece of bread.

• Top with tomato slices and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the arugula and basil leaves.
• Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic.
• Add the top half of the ciabatta and gently push down on the sandwich.
• Use a serrated knife to cut into sandwiches.

Variations

This recipe makes one big sandwich that you cut to make several sandwiches. If you want to make a single sandwich, you can use 2 slices of bread or a ciabatta roll and reduce the ingredients.

• Use your Favorite Bread. A baguette, focaccia, whole grain, or sourdough are all good options. If you need the sandwich to be gluten-free, use gluten-free bread.
• Add Protein. Chicken, turkey, salami, bacon, or prosciutto are all good options. You can even top with a fried egg, why not?
• Burrata– instead of fresh mozzarella cheese, use creamy burrata. Break up the balls and add to the sandwich.
• Feeling Fruity? Top the sandwich with peach slices, avocado slices, or even pear slices.
• Mix Up the Greens. Instead of arugula, add spinach. Or you can just use fresh basil.
• Add Onion– add thin slices of red onion or pickled red onion.
• Roasted Red Peppers– I love adding peppers to my sandwich!
• Sweeten it Up! Add a drizzle of honey or hot honey!
• Basil Vinaigrette– if you don’t want to use pesto, try my basil vinaigrette!

What to Serve on the Side

• Simple Arugula Salad
• Simple Kale Salad
• Easy Green Salad
• Fruit Salad
• Watermelon Feta Salad
• Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges or Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
• Potato Salad

More Caprese Recipes

• Caprese Garlic Bread
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Summer Caprese Salad
• Caprese Avocado Toast
• Berry Caprese Salad
• Caprese Eggs Benedict
• Caprese Breakfast Casserole