The Ultimate Way To Serve Caprese Salad Offers A Creamy Twist

Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of juicy tomatoes, sweet basil, and creamy mozzarella by making a caprese salad. But let's face it — as beautifully simplistic as the salad can be, it's also a wee bit boring on its own. We've recommended plenty of ways to jazz it up over the years, from adding cucumbers for a bright crunch to making an easier-to-eat version involving chopped ingredients. But if extra creaminess is what you're going for, beyond what the cheese can provide, try stuffing your caprese into avocado halves.

Although avocados aren't necessarily known as being a staple in Italian cuisine, they pair beautifully with this salad. They're the perfect mix of fresh and creamy, and they complement all the flavors in a caprese, including the salt, pepper, olive oil, and optional drizzle of balsamic. If you pit your avocado halves but leave them otherwise untouched, you can incorporate a little of their flesh with each bite of your dish. And as a bonus, between the fruit and the oil, you've got a nutritious meal packed full of healthy fats. Plus, your salads will be portioned in cute little cups, perfect for eating individually as an appetizer or pairing together as a full lunch.

To stuff your avocado halves with a caprese salad, you'll want smaller ingredients than what's included in a classic recipe (since full slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, for example, likely won't fit). Go for mini versions of each element, similar to how we do in our Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad: Use halved cherry tomatoes instead of full-sized versions, mozzarella pearls, and chopped basil instead of strips. Combine all your salad ingredients separately (except for balsamic, if you're using it), since the avocado halves will be too small to serve as proper mixing bowls.

When it comes to choosing your fruit bowls, aim for their ideal point of ripeness. You want them to be sturdy enough to act as actual cups, but creamy enough that you can tear bits away with a fork when you eat your salad. As an alternative, you can scoop out most of the avocado insides (leaving a rim so they retain their structure), dice them and add them to the rest of your ingredients, and place everything back in almost-empty peels. Either way, once you've stuffed your fruits, drizzle a little balsamic (or a dollop of pesto, if you're feeling frisky) on top of each one.