Cold Caprese Dip with Cherry Tomatoes and Fruit

250

I love to make this Cold Caprese Dip anytime I have people over. It’s the ultimate easy party dip and a great way to welcome your favourite group of friends and family. It’s an easy dip recipe that comes together quickly and doesn’t require cooking. The base of the dip is made with yoghurt and cream cheese. To make it Caprese we top that with tomato, basil and a bit of fruit which is always a fun spin.

About this Cold Caprese Dip

The word “Caprese” is the demonym for someone or something from the island of Capri in Italy. It’s on that island where the classic Caprese salad originated. A traditional Caprese salad has fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. To finish this simple but tasty salad it’s drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and black pepper. It’s from this recipe that I got the inspiration to make this Cold Caprese Dip. Even though it doesn’t have mozzarella cheese, you get the flavours when you eat it and the result is a crowd-pleaser. You can get all the ingredients for this great appetizer at grocery stores which is also very convenient.

Components in the recipe

This Cold Caprese Dip with Fruit has simple ingredients that make it an extremely tasty appetizer. You’ll get all the details for the amounts in the recipe card but here’s a preview. I’m also including a few replacements that you might want to experiment with to try different flavour profiles. I do recommend that the first time that you make it you use the recipe as is, but you can never have too many ideas.

• Yoghurt and cream cheese base. The base is made easily by whipping full-fat cream cheese at room temperature with Greek yoghurt, salt and black pepper. This mix is perfect because using only cream cheese can be very heavy. Also, I don’t like to taste just that cream cheese flavour that can be overpowering. The yoghurt also adds a lovely acidity to the base of the Cold Caprese Dip and makes it smoother and dipable. 
• Caprese mix of tomato, fruit and basil. To make it a Caprese dip it needs tomato on top. I like to use cherry tomatoes/grape tomatoes cut in quarters. However, if you have lovely heirloom tomatoes instead you can cut those into small pieces. It’s important to use tasty and juicy tomatoes to get the full effect of the recipe. To the tomatoes, I also added a bit of fruit which makes it so much more interesting. I used cherries but you can also use strawberries, raspberries or peaches. To finish this off, I added basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Olive oil.​ A good quality olive oil is the perfect way to finish the dip before serving.
• Balsamic glaze. I make my own balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction by boiling balsamic vinegar until it thickens. However, you can also use store-bought glaze, which is easy to obtain.
• More ideas.  If you want to experiment with other flavour profiles you can switch out the balsamic glaze for a delicious homemade pesto (or even store-bought pesto). It’s also delicious if you sprinkle almond praline on top.

How to serve this easy appetizer

Once all the components of the Cold Caprese Dip are ready to go, it’s time to serve. If you’re not serving straightaway, you can keep the cream cheese and yoghurt mix refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I do recommend that you mix the toppings right before serving, though. To serve, spread the cream cheese and yoghurt mix on the bottom of your serving dish. In this way, you can showcase that lovely creamy dip. On top of that, you will add the mix of tomatoes, fruit, basil and olive oil. Finish it with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze. And of course, since this is a dip, we need something to dip! In my case, I love to make homemade pita chips. They’re really easy to make and people go crazy over them. If you don’t like pita chips you can also use tortilla chips or a nice crusty bread to make olive oil toast. I guarantee that it will be a big hit at any gathering.

About the balsamic glaze for this Cold Caprese Dipsauc

If you want to make your own balsamic glaze like me, here’s how. I like to make a big batch with a litre or so of balsamic vinegar. It’s not only good for this Cold Caprese Dip but also for salads and even fruit and ice cream. I sound crazy, but trust me on that one! To make it all you need is to place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and let it boil until it starts to look syrupy and can coat the back of a spoon. Then you just need to transfer it to a small bowl and let it cool down completely. Bear in mind that when it cools down it will thicken a lot more. If it’s too thick when it cools down, you can always add a splash of boiling water and mix it in. You don’t need much for this recipe so you will definitely have a bit leftover to experiment with your everyday dishes. The resulting balsamic glaze is sweet, slightly tangy and should have a honey-like texture.