Caprese Sandwich
This Caprese sandwich recipe is perfect for picnics! This vegetarian sandwich features tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and creamy basil sauce.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Picnic season is here! We’re enjoying a lovely spring here in Kansas City. Our homegrown tomatoes won’t be ready for a while, but I’m sharing my favorite picnic sandwich with you since I can find great tomatoes at the store now.
This Caprese sandwich recipe is inspired by the classic Caprese salad. It features ripe red tomatoes and sliced fresh mozzarella with the most irresistible creamy basil sauce. For extra flavor, I also added a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a small handful of arugula.
Sandwich all of that inside a crusty loaf of French baguette, and you will have a perfectly portable sandwich for picnics or road trips. Or, enjoy it at home for a quick meal from now through the end of tomato season this fall.
This tomato and mozzarella sandwich is a terrific vegetarian sandwich that offers a surprising amount of protein, thanks to the cheese. This recipe is my homemade rendition of my go-to sandwich at our local French café. They’ve just added it back to the menu, so I’m excited that I can order it there or make one at home. Now you can, too.
Caprese Sandwich Ingredients
Just remember—the better the bread and the tomatoes, the better the sandwich! Here’s what you’ll need:
Baguette
French baguette is perfect for this sandwich, or you can use any high-quality bread you have at home already.
Homemade Creamy Basil Sauce
You’re going to fall in love with this sauce! It’s easy to whip together in the food processor, or by hand if you’d rather. You’ll need mayonnaise, fresh basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Leftover sauce makes a lovely veggie dip.
Thick Balsamic Vinegar
Tangy balsamic vinegar provides some irresistible contrast to the creaminess of the sauce and the mozzarella. We need to use a thick balsamic vinegar here (the regular runny kind will make your sandwich wet).
I love Napa Valley Naturals’ Grand Reserve Balsamic Vinegar—make sure you get the bottle with “25 stars” on it. It’s under $10 and typically available at Natural Grocers and other well-stocked grocery stores. Or, buy balsamic glaze (DeLallo makes one) or make your own balsamic glaze.
Arugula
Arugula offers a light crunch and fresh, peppery flavor. I love it, but you can skip it if you don’t.
Mozzarella
Use one ball of mozzarella, which is different from the part-skim block of mozzarella that you buy for pizza. For best flavor, opt for a mozzarella ball that is packed in water, rather than vacuum-sealed.
Ripe Tomatoes
Specifically, look for medium-sized, juicy, red tomatoes. They will really shine in this sandwich.
Watch How to Make Caprese Sandwich
Caprese Sandwich Serving Suggestions
Serve this sandwich with a side salad or simply some fresh fruit. Here are some complimentary salad options that also travel well:
- Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
- Favorite Quinoa Salad
- French Carrot Salad
- Tangy Lentil Salad with Dill & Pepperoncini
- Tabbouleh
More Vegetarian Sandwiches to Enjoy
- Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Green Goddess Hummus Sandwich
- Tomato Jam and Mozzarella Panini
- Vegetarian “BLT” Sandwich
- Veggie Breakfast Sandwich
Please let me know how your sandwiches turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Caprese Sandwich
This Caprese sandwich recipe is perfect for picnics! This vegetarian sandwich features tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and creamy basil sauce. Recipe yields 2 large (as shown) or 4 medium sandwiches.
Ingredients
Two large or 4 smaller sandwiches
- 1 baguette (16 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon thick balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze*
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups baby arugula
- 1 mozzarella ball (8 ounces)
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
Creamy basil sauce (this makes extra**)
- 1 small or ½ medium clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup (1 ounce) lightly packed fresh basil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the bread in half lengthwise, then stack it back together and slice it down the middle to form two large sandwiches, or again to make 4 small. Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet with the cut sides facing up. Bake for 5 minutes, or until warmed through and turning lightly golden around the edges.
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In the meantime, prepare the creamy basil sauce*: In a food processor, blitz the roughly chopped garlic to chop it more finely. Scrape down the sides, then add the mayo, basil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then set aside.
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To assemble the sandwiches, lightly drizzle balsamic and olive oil over half of the cut sides of bread. Layer some arugula on top, then weigh it down with rounds of mozzarella. Top with the sliced tomato, then sprinkle the tomato lightly with flaky salt.
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Spread the basil sauce generously over the cut side of the remaining slices of bread. Place them face down over the tomatoes. Enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate:
We tried your Caprese Sandwich and loved it! What a great idea to use mayonnaise in the sauce. It was so good we had again a few days later.
Best,
Leslie from the Hudson Valley, NY
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Leslie.
This sandwich is incredible! I made two larger French bread sandwiches for a potluck, slicing each into three-inch sections speared with picks. I had to prep them several hours ahead and I was worried about things getting soggy. To help combat this, I coated the cut sides of the bread with olive oil before toasting and rather than using the straight up balsamic vinegar, I mixed mayo, garlic, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sugar to make a thicker, second sauce for the other side of bread. I also cut my very juicy tomatoes ahead and laid them out on paper towels on a sheet pan with a sprinkle of salt to draw out some water. The sandwiches assembled this way held up for hours without getting mushy. Everyone is correct about the fantastic basil sauce, out of this world! I served this with Kate’s favorite quinoa salad and it paired beautifully. Thanks Kate!
Thank you for sharing, Summer!
What other bread would work well?
A crusty bread works bets. I have had it with sliced sourdough and it was also delicious.
Love this sandwich so much! Followed the recipe exactly and everyone loved them! I always love your recipes!
Delicious and so easy to put together. I used Vegan mayo Flow Your Heart made with Grapeseed Oil.
Very delicious!
Thank you, Roxanne! I appreciate your review.
Delicious! I made the spread in my bullet blender, which worked just fine. I think it would be really good on fried green tomato sandwich too. I added green leaf lettuce instead of arugula, which was perfect for us. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Deanna!
Love your recipes and make them often.
Would like if the nutritional information was included.
Hi Cheryl, The nutritional information is below the notes section on the recipe. You need to click the header to expand. Let me know if you have issues!
Just one word , Kate , excellent ! Thank you
You’re welcome, Oliver!
Caprese salad is in my regular rotation, but somehow I’ve never made the sandwich version! Absolutely loved this sandwich!! The basil mayo is so good, and I’m not a big mayo fan. All of my teenagers and partner devoured this sandwich. Very satisfying as a Meatless Monday Main!
Great to hear, Angi! I appreciate your review.
For convenience I added the olive oil and balsamic vinegar into the processor with the rest of the ingredients for the creamy basil sauce. It turned out really well. Next time I plan to add 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves to thicken the sauce slightly, and make it look greener. Kisses for Cookie
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Hedy!
For years I’ve been looking for the perfect capresse sandwhich and have finally found it!!!!!!!!!!!! This is so delicious and by far better than any resteruant I’ve ordered from and any recipie I’v found online.
I will definitly make this for picnics, dinner and whenever I’m craving one.Which is often! I have never been dissapointed with any of your rcipies. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This was absolutely delicious. I am a Basil addict so I added more than recipe stated. My daughter and her friends were raving about the creamy basil sauce and said it took the sandwich from good to WOW! It was delicious and refreshing for our lunch on the beach.
You’re welcome, Tricia!
My wife and I love this sandwich. I think there is an error in the ingredients list, however. We used one ounce of fresh basil, which the recipe calls for, but one ounce is a lot more than the one half cup lightly packed that the recipe also calls for.
I’m glad you loved it, Tom!
Where has this recipe been all my life!!? It was absolutely delicious! My husband is not a fan of Mayo nor “too much garlic” and yet he loved it. He said it tasted like Panera Bread. : ) the basil and garlic sauce was the best! I’ll be making this again for sure.
Great to hear, Melissa!
What a delicious sandwich! Thank you. I tried making a caprese yesterday without your recipe, and today I used your recipe. The difference is considerable.
I would like to know how long i can keep your creamy basil sauce in the frig? I was worried about the basil turning color.
It lasts well since it is blended with other ingredients.
Good selection of accompanying flavors. I added butter lettuce to mine(a few leaves left on the roots).
Kate! Thanks again for a wonderful recipe! My family have pretty much cut out meat from our diet. I’m always looking for delicious vegan/vegetarian recipes, and yours are always winners. THANK YOU as I’m feeding a 6.5 year old as well. She decided animals were her friends and didn’t want to eat them, so here we are!
We are based in South Korea so sometimes I can’t find all the ingredients, but this was easy to find and easy to make. The mayo sauce was great! I’m so excited that I have leftovers. Thanks for helping this mom find delicious recipes and making the journey to plant-based eating more accessible!
Thank you for your review, Mary!
Made these yesterday and again today. Daughter said it’s now her favorite sandwich, even better than Mendocino Farms. Thanks for an amazing sandwich.
This recipe turns out to be great every time I make it. The best part of this sandwich is the creamy basil sauce. I added more garlic than recipe recommends, since I love garlicky flavor in sauces.
I made the sauce with pesto and added a little lemon for kick. The sandwiches came together so well thanks to your instructions. I did some with tomato, some with roasted red peppers. Thank you!
replaced mayo with 10% fat yogurt (not Greek as i dont find it good for sauces) and a drizzle of olive oil and also added some walnuts – made sort of a pesto based on this recipe’s sauce. For me, it turned out great! and much healthier, which was what i wanted.
Also, baked the tomatoes in the oven with a bit of olive oil and balsamic. Turned out wonderful!
Thanks for the inspiration!
I made this tonight for dinner for my family. My daughter has been a vegetarian since she was 12.
So delicious! Thank you for the yummy recipe, we all loved it and will be making it again.