Tomato Mozzarella Salad

I have been making this for about 15 years, but it has slightly changed over the years. I used to make my own balsamic glaze and I sometimes still do, but I’ve found an already reduced balsamic glaze that I use more often now. The balsamic glaze is easy-ish to make, but it can smell up a kitchen pretty quickly and if you cook it too long, it will become really sticky! If you don’t cook it long enough, it isn’t sweet enough. I’ll never forget making this when I had my parents staying at our very first house. I was so excited to make them a nice meal. I cooked the glaze too long and it was so sticky. I watched my dad eat it at the other end of the table and his teeth kept sticking together! He kept saying he liked it, but it sure was sticky. I’ve gotten better at making the glaze and better at buying the glaze now too. Wink, wink. This is another of our favorite summer go-to’s and my kids now like it too so we are so excited about that!!

*This is GLUTEN FREE*

Ingredients

• 2 garden fresh tomatoes
• 1 small round pack of fresh mozzarella
• handful of basil
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar and a little bit of salt and pepper or premade balsamic glaze

Directions

To make balsamic glaze:

Add 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a pot and add 2 pinches of salt and 2 pinches of pepper.

Heat to medium high and boil. I had to turn my stove down to low for a nice gentle boil after the initial boil.

Let boil for about 7-12 minutes or until balsamic has been reduced to about 2 tablespoons. It is finished when the vinegar coats the pan, but still flows freely. (All info from the Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook).

Remove balsamic from heat and pour in a small dish until ready to serve.

To prepare salad:

Slice tomatoes.

Slice enough slices of mozzarella per each slice of tomato.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomato slices and mozzarella slices.

Layer tomato and mozzarella on a serving tray.

Drizzle with olive oil to taste. You don’t need a lot.

Cut, rip, or chop fresh basil and sprinkle on salad.

Drizzle balsamic glaze on top of the salad. Serve.

To make balsamic glaze:

Place 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar is small sauce pan over low heat. Sprinkle a pinch of salt into vinegar. Let cook on low heat until a syrup forms. It is done when it has legs and is about half the amount you started with. Remove from heat. If it isn’t sweet enough, sprinkle in a little pure cane sugar in. This is a healthier option than the premade glaze because the glaze I’ve found has hidden ingredients, but sometimes you just need a shortcut so do what works for you!