Skip The Plate And Serve Caprese Salad Tulips In Just Four Simple Steps

If there's one appetizer that's a hit at every event, it's a tomato and mozzarella salad. Fresh and herbaceous with a hint of salty goodness, the appetizer has everything one could possibly want. To elevate the Caprese salad at your next event, serve it in tulip form.

At sit-down events, a large platter is easy to manage since it can be passed around or situated at the center of the table. Yet, if you want your guests to roam around or simply want to try out a visually appealing take on the classic hit, using the tulip method is the way to go. Caprese tulips have the same delicious flavor as the traditional salad, but come in a beautiful bite-sized form that's sure to wow guests.

Both grape and cherry tomatoes are the perfect size for Caprese salad tulips. While cherry tomatoes are sweeter, grape tomatoes tend to be a little thicker and less watery. To make each tulip, slice a tomato both crosswise and lengthwise, until you're almost at the base. Scoop out the seeds and stick a wooden skewer into the bottom of the tomato, allowing the sides to fall open. Now pierce a mozzarella pearl with the pointy end of the skewer and slide it down into the tomato "flower." Lay your tulips on a plate in bouquet form and drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over them, with basil leaves adorning the skewers as makeshift leaves. You can also arrange them in a jar for guests to grab.

If you want to feature more of that sweet basil flavor into the bouquet, serve a bright and fresh basil pesto on the side for guests. Pour it into a ramekin or bowl along with a spoon, so it's easy to scoop a dollop of it onto a plate to be used as a dip. To incorporate all the flavors at once, marinating the baby mozzarella balls is also an option. The cheese can be steeped in basil pesto, balsamic vinegar, or an herbaceous olive oil.

The mozzarella balls can also be swapped for cream cheese instead. With the soft texture of the cheese, it can easily be mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. To go this route, finely chop basil and a few cloves of garlic and add it to a food processor. Drizzle olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar inside and pulse until everything is mixed well. Use a small spoon or knife to scoop the cream cheese into the sliced-open tomatoes.

If you'd prefer the bouquets to look more realistic, you can place the tomatoes onto stalks of green onions. Cut out a small part of the bottom of the tomato and stick it onto the green onion stalk after placing the cheese inside.