Lemon and Thyme Chicken Caprese transforms a classic caprese salad into a full meal that strikes the right balance between being satisfying but not overly heavy.
One of the best things about summer is the food. Whether your favorite is corn, watermelon, peaches, green beans, or tomatoes, there seems to be some new local produce popping up at the farmers market every week. I, for one, am hard-pressed to choose a favorite.
I think for me it might be a combo of seasonal flavors, like blackberries + mint or sweet corn + zucchini. Right up at the top of the list are heirloom tomatoes, especially if fresh herbs like basil and thyme are involved.
Caprese salad is always a hit, and a beautiful way to showcase summer flavor and freshness. But the truth of the matter is that the internet just doesn’t need another classic caprese recipe, so I put a little twist on it. I added lemon and thyme-marinated chicken to make it a meal, swapped out balsamic vinegar for a bit lighter and more refreshing red wine vinegar, and added toasted pine nuts for crunch.
Serve it with a big green salad and this is the ideal summer supper.
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and cracked
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb (455 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded into cutlets
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- ½ lb (227 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- Handful fresh basil
- Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a large bowl, and stir to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until fully cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through (there should be no pink in the center). Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes after grilling.
- To assemble the salad, arrange the chicken and tomatoes on a platter. Drizzle on the vinegar and oil and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Scatter the pine nuts and basil on top and serve.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Allison Shayne says
July 24, 2017 at 6:57 amI love your blog..its absolutely beautiful…reading your recipes makes me cook and create art in the kitcken!
I do have a favor to ask i have the hardest time pounding chicken..it never turns out right.
Please share any ideas and tools you might use.
Thank you again for your Art.
Faith says
July 27, 2017 at 1:32 pmAllison, Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog! I am so happy to hear that you find my recipes inspiring; you made my day! As far as pounding chicken, here’s my method: 1) if the breasts are very large I cut each in half; 2) place 1 piece of chicken between 2 sheets of parchment paper (I use parchment paper because it’s thicker than wax paper); 3) use a meat mallet to pound out the meat, working from the center out. I hope that helps and thank you again. xoxo
2pots2cook says
July 29, 2017 at 1:45 amTruly appreciate your creations ! You have a big fan over here :-)