Caprese salad ingredient

Latest answer — August 12, 2026

25 Down

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Clue explained

BASIL is the fresh herb commonly paired with tomato and mozzarella in a Caprese salad. The clue asks for one of the dish’s standard ingredients.

Clue type:
Example
A Caprese salad with basil leaves, tomato, and mozzarella

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 12, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “Caprese salad ingredient” in the USA Today crossword is BASIL — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 12, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 25-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Caprese salad ingredient” answer

BASIL (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is BASIL.

What does BASIL mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of BASIL is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • an aromatic plant of the mint family, native to tropical Asia. The leaves are used as a culinary herb, especially in Mediterranean dishes
  • a European plant which grows in hedges and scrub

When else has “Caprese salad ingredient” appeared?

USA Today reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 12, 2026 (most recent) → BASIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Caprese salad ingredient”?

The answer is BASIL, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on August 12, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Caprese salad ingredient”?

5 letters: BASIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on August 12, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 25-Down.

Can “Caprese salad ingredient” have a different answer?

Yes — USA Today sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's USA Today answers?

The full grid for August 12, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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