Caper Salad
This caper salad is a real flavor bomb thanks to the mixture of capers, sun-dried tomato, and lemon zest. It's the perfect side dish for all your summer events.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the salad
- 18 ounces (500 g) cherry tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons small caper buds in brine sub caper berries (see notes)
- ¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 handful fresh basil
For the dressing
- ¼ cup (45 g) sun-dried tomatoes + 2 tablespoons of their oil
- 2 tablespoons capers in brine small caper buds, not caper berries
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Frehsly cracked pepper to taste
- Balsamic glaze optional
Instructions
- Tomatoes: Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half or into quarters.
- Capers: You can rinse the capers under cold water if they are really salty and vinegary.
- Pine nuts: Dry roast the pine nuts in a pan without oil over medium-high until golden. Watch carefully to prevent them from burning.
- Dressing: Blend the sun-dried tomatoes, capers (no brine), lemon juice, water, maple syrup, and pepper until smooth.
- Assembly: Zest a lemon. Add the tomatoes, whole caper buds or caper berries, roasted pine nuts, and lemon zest to a salad bowl or serving platter. Toss with the dressing and let the salad sit for 15 minutes if time allows. Garnish with fresh basil and balsamic glaze (if using).
Notes
- Caper buds vs caper berries: Caper buds are very small, unripe green flower buds of the caper plant that have the size of peas. Caper berries are the fruit of the plant that have the size of olives and cherry-like stems (see picture above). Both are preserved in a vinegary brine.
- Storage: You can store an opened jar of capers in the refrigerator for up to a year. Make sure the capers are constantly covered in brine to prevent them from going bad.
- You may need to adjust the amount of capers you use. Large caper buds have a stronger and more acidic flavor than small delicate ones.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g
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