Easy Keto Caprese Salad with Bonus Blackberry Balsamic Drizzle
This quick and fresh Caprese salad has summer all over it!
I love summertime food! Why? Because fresh and bright ingredients often take center stage. Plus, many sunny-season recipes are fast and easy to prepare. This easy keto Caprese salad with blackberry balsamic drizzle is no exception. It’s gorgeous with vibrant red tomatoes paired with soft mozzarella cheese and julienned basil leaves. And not only is the Caprese salad presentation beautiful, it sure is tasty, too!
This easy to make blackberry balsamic has no added sugar!
Traditional balsamic glaze is loaded with sugar. In fact, many brands have up to 10g of carbs per tablespoon… Yikes! Because a balsamic drizzle is a welcome addition to a Caprese salad, I set out to make a keto-friendly version. This deliciously sweet and perfectly tart blackberry balsamic recipe has only 1 carb per tablespoon! 🙌
Keto Caprese Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Drizzle
yield: 4 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
total time: 15 MINUTES
This classic Caprese salad is kicked up a keto-notch with a delicious blackberry balsamic drizzle!
Ingredients
Caprese Salad:
- 3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes (or 3 large Roma tomatoes)
- 8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella cheese
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves, julienned into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon high-quality extra virgin olive oil (more if desired)
- sea salt flakes to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Blackberry Balsamic Drizzle:
- 1/3 cup blackberries (about 10 berries)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 10 drops liquid stevia (or more or less to taste)
- pinch xanthan gum, *optional for thickening (use only if you want to create a thick glaze)
Directions
1
For the Caprese Salad:
Cut the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into approximately 1/4-inch slices (I cut my mozzarella ball in half first). Arrange on a plate, alternating tomato and mozzarella slices. Scatter with basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
Serve at room temperature. If desired, drizzle with blackberry balsamic sauce.
2
For the Blackberry Balsamic Drizzle:
Place blackberries and red wine vinegar in a blender. Blend until blackberries have broken down and thoroughly combined with vinegar. Pour mixture through a sieve (or cheesecloth) to remove seeds, skin, etc. Sweeten the vinegar mixture with stevia to taste. For a glaze-like consistency, add a pinch of xanthan gum and whisk well to combine and thicken.
Additional Notes
Main nutritional information is for Caprese salad only.
Values for the blackberry balsamic drizzle are as follows:
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Yield: 8 servings, Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 5, Total Carbohydrates: 1g, Fiber: 0g, Net Carbohydrates: 1g, Total Fat: 0g, Protein: 0g
Nutritional Information
Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: approximately 4/ea. tomato & mozzarella slices
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 202, Total Carbohydrates: 3g, Fiber: 1g, Net Carbohydrates: 2g, Total Fat: 16g, Protein: 11g
Hip Tips:
- If you don’t have a sieve or cheesecloth, you can try a creative household substitute. In fact, pantyhose and coffee filters have worked well for many peeps in a pinch!
- To julienne fresh basil, simply stack the leaves together like sheets of paper. Then gently roll up the stack into a loose cigar shape. Using a very sharp knife, slice across the roll to make thin strips.
- Choosing perfectly ripe tomatoes can be tricky. Juicier tomatoes are denser, while unripe tomatoes feel a bit light. You can also test a tomato by smelling near the stem. Ripe tomatoes should have a strong and slightly sweet, earthy odor.
For another bright & sunny dish, try this yummy kale salad recipe!
