Your Caprese Salad Needs An Easy, Refreshing Swap

There's a way to level up the already incredibly refreshing, bright experience that is a mouthwatering Caprese salad. It's not by choosing the choicest tomatoes, freshest basil, or most premium cheese — though those all matter. It's by incorporating melon instead of the traditional slabs of juicy tomatoes. 

When it's sweltering out, sometimes all that sound good are refreshing cubes, sticks, and triangles of sweet watermelon. It only makes sense to include the darling of summer produce in as many main dishes, sides, and desserts as humanly possible while the getting is good — and when it's hot outside, boy is it good. To create a spin on the classic Caprese salad, which hails from Italy (likely Capri, though some debate its exact origins), you'll simply be replacing the standard slices of tomato with ripe watermelon. 

Know how to pick a good watermelon at the grocery store so you can choose the optimal texture. Aside from that, everything else remains the same, ingredient-wise — so you'll still be slicing and layering fresh herbs, cheese, and dressing with simple seasonings. The result? A super cooling, hydrating dish that even non-tomato lovers will devour. This sweeter version of the salad still delivers the same complexity and taste bud-tingling, layered flavor that the traditional salad does, but with an irresistible spin.

Watermelon is an ideal 1:1 swap for tomatoes when you want a Caprese salad that hits all the flavor notes people know and love it for — juicy, salty, earthy — but with a twist. That's because watermelon and tomatoes both provide a crunchy bite, hydrating juiciness, and brightness. And though tomato and watermelon have totally different flavors — one sweet, one acidic — watermelon still shines in savory contexts. After all, folks sprinkle savory salt right onto watermelon.

Don't limit your juicy, mouth-watering creation to the standard format either. This flavor combo works in many presentations, so you can try stacking ingredients on a toothpick for a mini hors d'oeuvre situation. Or, you can serve a full-sized, shareable salad, perhaps plated up with a pasta or as a refreshing lunch bursting with flavor. 

Just as you're not limited to certain presentations, nor are you confined to the other traditional ingredients. A standard Caprese is made with creamy mozzarella, but for an extra kick of tang, use briny pieces of feta, which play off the sweet watermelon. Must-haves include super fresh, aromatic basil and high-quality olive oil if you can get it — this is a time to reach for the premium olive oil. A bit of salt and pepper and optional (but recommended) drizzles of balsamic vinegar are all that are needed for an explosively flavorful dish that shines as it refreshes, all season long.