Stacked Tomato Salad with Black Olive Tapenade and Basil Pesto Dressing

Stacked Tomato Salad with Black Olive Tapenade and Basil Pesto Dressing is a twist on classic Caprese salad.  It’s easy, impressive and the perfect way to showcase fresh tomatoes!

The inspiration behind this recipe:

Few things get me more excited in the summertime than being able to pick our own homegrown tomatoes!  I’m a tomato fanatic to begin with and seldom go a day without something tomatoey.

I’m also a Caprese salad fanatic and it’s one of our go-to’s around our house during the summer.   So, when I found this recipe from Bobby Flay in an old 2004 edition of Bon Appetit magazine, it immediately went on my must-make list.

Tapenade is also a passion of ours.  The first time I ever had it was in Paris around 20 years ago.  My husband and I loved it so much, we bought ten jars of it to bring home!  Little did I know at the time how easy it is to make at home!

What is tapenade?

Tapenade is a Provencal spread or dip typically made with olives, capers and anchovies.  Sometimes fresh herbs or lemon juice are added.  The word tapenade comes from the Provencal word for capers, tapenas.  However, Bobby’s recipe didn’t include capers so I just had to trust him.  You can add them if you want just to be traditional, but we enjoyed the tapenade without.

How to make Stacked Tomato Salad with Black Olive Tapenade and Basil Pesto Dressing:

• Start with four beautiful, vine-ripened backyard or farmer’s market tomatoes.

• Make the Black Olive Tapenade.  This recipe calls for only a few ingredients:
  • Olive oil
  • Kalamata olives (can also use Nicoise but Kalamata olives are more readily available)
  • Pine Nuts
  • Anchovy paste (Comes in a tube and is a nice alternative to purchasing a small container of anchovies because it will last in your refrigerator for quite a while.  If you have a fish allergy or don’t care for anchovies, use 3 tablespoons of rinsed capers in place of the anchovy paste.)
  • Garlic

• Simply combine all the ingredients in a small food processor or blender and you’re ready to roll!  The olives and anchovy paste are plenty salty so no additional salt is needed.  I did, however, give it some freshly cracked black pepper.  Sooo good!

• Next, make the Basil Pesto Dressing.  The ingredients are:
  • Fresh basil
  • Lemon juice
  • Dijon mustard
  • Pine nuts
  • Garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

• Combine everything but the olive oil in a food processor or blender and process until everything is finely chopped.
• Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to process.  Give it some salt and black pepper to taste and voila!

• The only other ingredient you’ll need is fresh mozzarella.  I purchase the pre-sliced fresh mozzarella in 1-pound packages from Bel Giosioso which is made in my home state of Wisconsin.
• Then, slice four beautiful vine-ripened tomatoes into four slices each.
• You’ll have 16 slices but will only need 15 to make five stacks.  Select the prettiest ones and make a tomato sandwich with the remaining slice.  Or, be like Bobby and dice up any remainder and sprinkle around the stacks.

• Start the layering process.  Layer as follows:
  • Tomato slice
  • Tapenade
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Tomato slice
  • Tapenade
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Tomato slice

• Place the stacks on a serving platter and give them a good dose of freshly cracked black pepper.
• Garnish with fresh basil leaves…

Voila!  Super easy, impressive and they shout summer!

Enjoy!

More tomato recipes you’ll love!

• Easy Fresh Tomato Salad
• Tuscan Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad
• Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart with Herbed Ricotta
• Mini Southern Tomato Pies
• Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil
• Tomato Ricotta Tart with Fresh Basil

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