These Caprese Salad Sandwiches are inspired by a sandwich from my favorite local restaurant. They defigrammnitely satisfied all my cravings for a fresh caprese meal. These fresh caprese sandwiches are quick, easy to make, and great for a healthy work lunch or picnic luncheon.
These Caprese Salad Sandwiches were inspired by a similar sandwich I love from a local pizza place. The caprese salad is supepr flavorful and goes great on a toasted roll with some pesto. These sandwiches are easy to make, but feel a tad fancy to me, like it belongs at a summer luncheon or picnic.
Caprese salad is a quintessential summer dish and is even more fun to make when you have fresh tomatoes and basil growing in your garden. Summer is the time for quick and easy meals, and these caprese sandwiches are just that.
Caprese Salad Sandwich Recipe Ingredients
- Bread – I’m pretty sure the restaurant, which gave me the inspiration for this sandwhich, uses hoagie-style rolls made from the pizza dough. They are amazing! I found some soft baguette-style rolls and they worked perfectly. I like to toast them in the oven for a few minutes to make them a little crusty. You’ll need bread or a roll that will hold the salad inside the sandwich while you eat it, or else it could get a little messy!
- Mozzarella – I used the little balls of fresh mozzarella and mixed them into the salad. You can also buy a big ball of fresh mozzarella and slice it into pieces to lay onto the sandwich, or cut it into chunks to mix into the salad. I recommend fresh mozzarella if you can get it.
- Lettuce – I used a spring mix for the lettuce in the sandwich. You can use any kind of lettuce you like. Spring mix does wilt pretty quickly once mixed with dressing, so if packing these sandwiches to eat later, I suggest using a heartier lettuce like romaine.
- Tomato – I used cherry tomatoes, sliced in half. I like the pop of sweetness they add, and I usually get way more cherry tomatoes in my garden, than regular sized tomatoes. You can use any kind of tomato you like though.
- Roasted Red Pepper – Roasted red peppers aren’t traditional to caprese salad, but the restaurant adds them to the sandwich and they go well with the other ingredients.
- Onion – I used some thinly shaved red onion. I can’t remember if red onion was in the original sandwich, but I love it and added it in, which lent the salad a nice sharp flavor.
- Dressing – I used a quick balsamic dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, maple syrup, granulated garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Let me know if you’d like a more detailed recipe! Store-bought balsamic vinaigrette will also do. You can also mix up olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
How To Make Easy Caprese Sandwiches
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut your bread in half, leaving the two halves connected if possible. I like to hollow out the roll a bit on both the top and the bottom pieces. This allows you to pack the sandwich with plenty of salad.
- Brush each side of the bread with a little bit of olive oil and place in the pre-heated oven for 5-10 minutes, until bread is a little bit toasty. Allow bread to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the greens to a large bowl and then add in the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and red onion. You can add fresh basil leaves if you like. Pour the balsamic dressing in and mix everything well.
- Spread one side of the roll with a few spoonfuls of pesto and the other side with some crushed Calabrian Chili peppers if desired. Add a few heaping spoonfuls of caprese salad to the bottom of the sandwich, pack it as full as you like, and place the top on. arefully cut the sandwich in half and enjoy!
Caprese Sandwich Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can this sandwich be made gluten-free? Yes, you can easily use a gluten-free roll or bread when making this sandwich.
- Is this caprese salad sandwich vegan? No, but you can use vegan mozzarella cheese instead. Miyoko’s Creamery has a great vegan mozzarella that’s perfect for this recipe.
- Can I layer the ingredients rather than mix them together in a salad? Yes, you can assemble this sandwich however you like. I made it like the restaurant that inspired this recipe does.
- Can these sandwiches be made ahead of time? Yes, but keep in mind that spring mix doesn’t stay fresh for long once dressed. Romaine lettuce may be a better option when making these sandwhiches in advance.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes?
Greek Salad Sandwiches with Hummus
Balsamic Sweet Pepper and Boursin Sandwiches
Avocado Pesto Chickpea Sandwiches
Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
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Caprese Salad Sandwiches
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Caprese Salad Sandwiches are inspired by one of my favorite sandwiches at a local restaurant and they definitely satisfied all my cravings! These fresh Caprese Salad Sandwiches are quick and easy to make and great for a work lunch or a picnic luncheon!
Ingredients
- 2 cups lettuce, you can use spring mix, romaine, spinach or other greens of choice
- 1 cup sliced in half cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup mini fresh mozzarella balls, or chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 1/2 thinly sliced red onion
- 2–3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette, homemade or store-bought
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto
- 1–2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian Chile peppers, if desired
- 2 large hoagies or baguettes, recipe should make about 2 large sandwiches that can be cut in half and shared
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut your bread in half, if you can leave the two halves connected that is great, but if not it will still be ok. I like to hollow out the roll a little bit on both the top and the bottom. This will allow you to pack the sandwich with lots of the caprese salad!
- Brush each side of the bread with a little bit of olive oil and place in the pre-heated oven for 5-10 minutes, until bread is a little bit toasty. Allow bread to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the greens to a large bowl and then add in the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and red onion. You could also add fresh basil leaves if you like. Pour the balsamic dressing in and mix everything together well.
- Spread one side of the roll with a few spoonfuls of pesto and then spread the other side of the roll with some crushed Calabrian Chili peppers, if desired. Add a few heaping spoonfuls of the caprese salad to the bottom of the sandwich, pack it as full as you like, and then place the top of the sandwich on. Carefully cut sandwich in half and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe makes enough for about two large sandwiches. A hoagie style roll or baguette is best for this recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Inspired
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