Caprese Salad Wreath

This Caprese Salad is green and red and so festive for the holidays! This post is sponsored by Pompeian.

I find mozzarella so comforting. Combine that happy, comfort food with some basil and olive oil though, and it turns into an adult-friendly wonder: Caprese Salad! I love Caprese Salad so much that not only do I have a recipe for Carpese Pasta Salad, but I even have a grilled cheese version.

But how do I make it perfect for the holidays?

Caprese Salad Wreath

This looks fancy and difficult to make, but it’s pretty simple, if a tad time-consuming. You make a quick mixture of shredded mozzarella, cream cheese, and flavorful olive oil, and then stuff it into cherry tomatoes (that last part is the time-consuming part). Then you arrange fresh basil leaves in a circle on a plate and top with a circle of tomatoes (like a donut of tomatoes, really).

Yes, hallowing out the tomatoes and then stuffing them takes a little while (it’s about 15 minutes per pint of tomatoes) but once they’re filled, arranging them is simple.

 

How to Make a Caprese Salad Wreath:

In a food processor, combine 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of tasty olive oil.

Next, use a paring knife to cut around the top of a cherry tomato. You want to angle inwards.

Pop out the part you’ve cut and gently squeeze out any seeds left inside. Repeat with two pints of cherry tomatoes.

Use a spoon to gently fill each tomato.

Push the filling in with your fingers if needed. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the outside of the tomato if some filling has smudged on there. Put the tomatoes on a plate and refrigerate until just before serving. Refrigeration sets the filling nicely.

Arrange about 20 fresh basil leaves in a ring towards the edge of a medium sized plate.

Top the ring of leaves with a ring of tomatoes.

Do several rings of tomatoes to create a nice wreath effect. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Print

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pompeian. All opinions are my own.

This post originally appeared in December 2018 and was revised and republished in December 2020.