The Italians nailed the concept of caprese hundreds of years ago without ever writing down a recipe. Soft cheese, tomatoes, and basil are at the heart of this soulful salad, the whole of which is greater than its parts. Still, there’s always room for improvement, especially by applying a kiss of heat, a touch of pungent vinegar, and soft tofu for unexpected umami in this recipe from The Everyday Vegan Cheat Sheet cookbook.

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.