Caprese Appetizer Holiday Wreath

Caprese Appetizer Holiday Wreath

The perfect appetizer spread includes a mixture of cheese laden comfort food and healthier options. Why not have both? This simple Caprese Appetizer is everything great about a classic Caprese Salad threaded onto skewers and presented as a Holiday Wreath.

The juicy grape or cherry tomatoes are bursting with flavour on the first bite, while the cheese follows up with a creamy saltiness when the bocconcini is seasoned with finishing salt.

Fresh basil brings the whole caprese appetizer trio together, just like it does in the summery salad. Dip the skewer in Olive oil and balsamic for an extra level of flavour.

The holiday wreath is so simple and it takes less than ten minutes to create. When served, it makes a stunning holiday table centerpiece. Pair it with an equally delicious Christmas Charcuterie Wreath featuring even more cheese, olives, crackers, and meats.

You can also serve these caprese appetizer skewers any time of year, on any shape of platter or bowl and your guests will devour them!

Easy Breezy Caprese

Everyone’s favourite Insalata Caprese, is a traditional Italian salad of tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, and sweet basil. It’s seasoned with salt, olive oil and sometimes balsamic vinegar.

This starter salad, or antipasti is believed to have originated on (and is named after) the island of Capri, in the Campania region of Italy. However, it is much loved throughout the country and around the world.

The tasty trio of tomatoes mozzarella and basil reflect the colours of the Italian flag, making it an Italian treasure. The patriotic combination is also served as a pizza (pizza Margherita), as a pasta, or together in a sandwich. It also makes a great appetizer when served on skewers!

Caprese Appetizer Ingredients

The ingredients in this caprese appetizer recipe are exactly the same as the ingredients in my Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad. There are very few ingredients in either recipe, which means that the quality of each ingredient is of utmost importance.

• Tomatoes
• Bocconcini
• Fresh Basil
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
• Sea Salt

There are few exceptions when it comes to choosing tomatoes for this dish. Choose bright smooth grape or cherry tomatoes in classic red. For a fun and very non traditional Caprese Appetizer Wreath, substitute strawberries for the cherry tomatoes! You can also add more red by adding chopped red peppers to the skewers.

The tomatoes should be perfectly ripe, but not over ripe as to be soft or wrinkled. Think sun ripened flavourful tomatoes.

For these appetizers, the tomatoes and cheese are similar in size and shape. You can buy fresh mini mozzarella balls, or mini bocconcini the same size as the tomatoes. However, the skewers are less likely to slide around on the serving platter if you buy the size larger and slice them in half.

Fresh basil leaves are a prevalent flavour for these skewers as such, they are a key component in this recipe. Use medium sized leaves for the skewers and scatter the smaller leaves around the wreath to finish.

As quality fresh mozzarella cheese contains very little salt, it is important to offer finishing salt, such as sea salt or Maldon salt to really make the bite sized appetizers pop.

Combine a high quality olive oil with balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze for a great accompanying dip. The best choice is an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with bright, slightly peppery notes.

How to Make a Caprese Appetizer Holiday Wreath

To make a wreath, estimate the size and amount of wooden skewers that will fit on your circular platter. You may or may not leave space for the dip bowl in the middle.

Begin threading an appetizer skewer by rolling a large leaf of basil into a cylinder, then thread it onto the wooden cocktail skewer. Add a bocconcini ball, then a grape or cherry tomato. Finish the caprese skewer with another rolled basil leaf and arrange on the platter.

*If the bocconcini balls are larger, I highly recommend that you slice them in half. They will then have a flat bottom which helps keep the skewer from moving around on the platter.

Thread the remaining skewers until the platter is full. You should have around 16-20 skewers in total.

Finally, pour the olive oil in a little dish and then add the balsamic vinegar. Place the dish in the centre of the skewers or on the side if there is not enough space for it.

Arrange remaining fresh basil leaves to decorate the skewer wreath with more greenery. Season with finishing salt to serve.

Make Ahead and Storage

This is a quick healthy appetizer that only takes ten minutes to make. Once it is made, it should be served immediately to guests. Do not refrigerate, as the basil will wilt and turn dark.