Salad with strawberries, mozzarella and arugula is an original combination of flavors and ingredients. This salad is simultaneously tender, sweet and tangy from the arugula leaves. Pine nuts make the taste of the salad even more original and the dish itself more healthy. This is a real summer salad, which also looks impressive, so if you want to surprise your guests, feel free to prepare it. If pine nuts are difficult to find, they can be replaced with any other exotic nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, hazel).
Ingredients
- 150 g strawberries
- 150 g mozzarella
- 8-10 sprigs of fresh arugula
- 1 handful of pine nuts
- 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil
Preparation
1. Sort out the strawberries; there is no need to use spoiled berries. Remove the stems and wash each berry thoroughly - it may be in the sand or in the ground. Cut each strawberry in half.
2. You can “assemble” the salad on a platter, since it is laid out in layers and not mixed. First, add the washed and dried arugula leaves. Since it has a fairly bright specific taste, you can put it a little less or a little more.
3. Cut each mozzarella ball into two parts or simply cut into cubes (if the cheese is a large piece). Place the cheese on a plate with the arugula.
4. Next, place the strawberry halves on a plate. Ideal if it is ripe and sweet. If the strawberries are sour, then for a sweet note you can add a little honey or sprinkle only the berries with grains of sugar.
In the summer we all want something light and fresh. It is at this time of year that the most green salads are prepared, which turn out to be rich in vitamins and simply incredibly tasty. Today we propose to prepare a salad with arugula and mozzarella, a dish that will be an excellent lunch, dinner, and even decoration for the holiday table. Bright contrasting ingredients, a minimum amount of calories and maximum benefits of the ingredients make this salad a godsend. It is also worth considering the quick preparation and availability of ingredients.
If you are expecting guests any minute, then the suggested recipes are just what you need. In just a couple of minutes you can prepare a delicious and delicious treat. Take advantage of the time while there is an abundance of greenery in the garden and at the markets, because it contains an incredible amount of vitamins. Arugula also attracts many people with its taste, so piquant and slightly spicy. Any salad using it is the best addition to barbecue and other meats. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the best Italian-style salad recipes that every novice cook can prepare.
Classic salad with arugula and mozzarella
This recipe uses a minimal amount of ingredients to create a gorgeous salad with a harmonious taste.
You need to take:
- mozzarella – 200 g
- arugula – 100 g
- cherry tomatoes – 5-7 pcs.
- olive oil – 1 table. spoon
- balsamic vinegar – 1 teaspoon. spoon
Place cherry tomato halves and mozzarella slices on top of the spicy arugula. Dress the salad with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In general, this couple is an ideal sauce for any vegetable salad.
Salad with arugula, basil and mozzarella
This salad is somewhat reminiscent of a classic caprese, but has a more piquant and pronounced taste.
Take:
- mozzarella – 150 g
- arugula – 0.5 bunch.
- basil - 0.5 bunch
- tomato – 1 pc.
- lemon juice – 10 ml
- soy sauce – 1 teaspoon
- pepper and salt - to taste
- olive or nut oil – 15 ml
- red onion – 0.5 pcs.
Cut the tomatoes and cheese into pieces of approximately the same size, cut the onion into thin half rings. We tear the greens with our hands and put them in a transparent salad bowl along with other ingredients. To prepare the dressing, mix soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and salt. If you want to achieve the perfect combination of flavors, then feel free to vary the number of components.
Salad with arugula, mozzarella and pesto
The main highlight of this salad is the dressing, tasty, satisfying and aromatic.
Components:
- cherry tomatoes – 100 g
- mozzarella in brine – 150 g
- arugula – 50 g
- pine nuts – 70 g
- basil – 0.5 bunch
- parmesan – 50 g
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons
- garlic – 3 cloves
- water - to taste
In a blender, beat half the nuts, basil, oil, Parmesan, garlic, then add water in small portions to taste. Bring the sauce to the desired consistency. We cut the tomatoes into 2-4 parts, the parmesan into strips, and leave the arugula whole. Add nuts to the salad and pour pesto sauce over it.
Salad with seafood, mozzarella and arugula
This delicious salad with seafood is a real delicacy. Its taste will be appreciated by any gourmet.
Components:
- mussels and squid – 50 g each
- mozzarella – about 7 balls
- pine nuts – 2 tbsp. spoons
- arugula – 1 bunch.
- olive oil and soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon
- Provençal herbs – 5 g
- cherry tomatoes – 7-10 pcs.
Fry mussels and squid rings in a minimal amount of olive oil. This will take no more than 2-3 minutes. Cut mozzarella and cherry balls into slices, add seafood and arugula, sprinkle with nuts. Mix the oil with soy sauce and Provençal herbs and pour over the salad. If you do not have such a set of spices, then you can add 1-2 pinch of rosemary, basil and marjoram, or other favorite herbs.
A fresh, bright salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella is liked by everyone who loves the cherry tomato taste, the delicate softness of mozzarella and the subtle aroma of fresh arugula. The dish is harmonious in all respects. A beautiful and significant color combination for all Italians is red, white and green. Because these are the colors that make up the palette of the Italian flag. This salad is a classic of Mediterranean cuisine, and also a dish that is loved and served in any home, in cafes, pizzerias and restaurants. Already want to cook? Then follow the detailed steps of our recipe with photos!
And be sure to try it.
Cuisine: Italian
Cooking time: 10 min.
Servings: 2 
- arugula – 1 cup,
- cherry tomatoes – 1 cup,
- mozzarella balls – 1 cup,
- olive oil – 1 tbsp. spoon,
- lemon juice – 1 teaspoon,
- balsamic sauce* – 1/3 tsp,
- Italian dry herbs - a whisper,
- black pepper and salt - to taste.
How to cook with photos step by step
Place a small bunch of arugula in a salad bowl. Leaves from sealed packaging do not need to be washed. In other cases, arugula should be refreshed with cold water and dried. Remove long stems. For salad, use fresh young leaves. 
Cut clean cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls into halves lengthwise. Cut soft cheese of a different shape into cubes. 
Add cherry halves to the salad bowl. 
Then scatter the pieces of soft cheese. I used mozzarella balls for the salad, which I placed in olive oil with basil leaves. This way you can extend the shelf life of soft cheese after opening the package. 
Prepare the dressing: mix olive oil, balsamic sauce, lemon juice, ground pepper, dried Italian herbs and salt. 
Pour the dressing over the contents. Our salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella is ready! 
The salad can be served in a common plate or transferred to small portioned salad bowls. Serve immediately after cooking. 
Bon appetit and good mood!
It turns out more satisfying
Hello dear readers. The presence of healthy greens on the table is welcome at any time of the year. But here, too, sometimes you want to move away from the parsley-onion monotony. Arugula will add pleasant notes to your everyday menu. This herb with a special aroma and unusual taste will appeal to many. For a long time it grew in our country as an inconspicuous weed, sometimes used as feed for livestock. But with the popularization of foreign cuisines, especially Italian, this plant took its rightful place among other leafy greens. What kind of herb arugula is - the benefits and harms will be discussed in this article.
What is arugula and how to eat it, composition
Arugula (caterpillar, eruka, rocket lettuce) is an annual herbaceous plant that is a close relative of the cabbage family. Its slightly fleshy carved leaves exude a special, quite pleasant aroma.
Wild grass samples can be found in European, Asian, African, and Indian lands. Greens are also cultivated in many countries. It is especially popular in Italian cuisine.
Eruka likes dry, but quite loose, soil. It tolerates the climate of northern regions well in both Europe and America. The plant can be sown on a windowsill in winter, and in the home garden in spring.
This bushy plant is small in size. It usually reaches 40 cm in height, although it can be slightly higher. The flowering time of arugula is at the end of spring - the beginning of summer.
Small yellowish flowers with bluish veining are collected in loose inflorescences. The plant is a cruciferous plant, because the four-petal flowers turn into pod-shaped fruits filled with brown seeds.
Chemical composition
Arugula, like a spicy green, is characterized by low calorie content. The nutritional value of the plant does not exceed 25 kcal/100 g of product. Therefore, it can even be included in dietary diets. And this is not the only plus. The chemical composition of the herb is replete with beneficial compounds.
It contains a sufficient amount of:
— vegetable oils;
- proteins;
- fiber;
— essential oils, especially mustard;
— fatty acids, including omega series;
- steroids;
— flavonoids;
- alkaloids;
- vitamin compounds - vit. K, C, E, F, A, B-group;
— mineral compounds – Mg, K, Na, P, Ca, Fe, Cu, Se, Mn, Cu, etc.
Arugula salad - benefits and harm, recipes
Many people introduce arugula into their diet not so much because of its taste, but because of the benefits it brings.
Useful properties of arugula
- Improves skin condition. Helps accelerate wound healing, relieves inflammation.
- Stimulates immune reactions.
- It has a beneficial effect on digestion, stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, and improves the peristaltic activity of the intestines. Promotes healing of mucosal ulcerations.
- Strengthens nail plates and hair follicles, making them healthier.
- Helps increase stress resistance and strengthens the nervous system.
- Gives a diuretic effect, cleanses the body, normalizes blood pressure.
- Normalizes cholesterol levels. Strengthens vascular walls.
- Helps normalize body weight.
- Gives an expectorant effect.
- Eliminates anemia.
- Acts as an aphrodisiac.
- Prevents the appearance of neoplasms.
- Supports the female body during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Shows lactogenic activity, promoting milk formation in lactating women.
- It is a tonic, preventive, and general strengthening agent.
- Has antiseptic properties.
- Has an anti-aging and caring effect on the skin.
- Used as a remedy for scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C.
Possible harm from eating salad and contraindications
Arugula is not good for everyone. If you have certain diseases, this plant should not be eaten. Sometimes it is necessary to minimize its amount in the diet.
It refers to:
- patients suffering from kidney failure and liver problems;
- patients with high acidity, gastritis and the presence of ulcerations of the mucous membrane;
- people who have kidney stones;
— allergy sufferers who may develop rashes on the body after taking the product;
- nursing mothers - should begin to use with caution, monitoring the child’s body’s response to the product;
- Pregnant women - allergies may occur.
May cause unexpected allergic reactions. And you may simply not like its bitter-spicy specific taste.
What do you eat arugula with? Arugula salads - recipes with photos and videos
Like any spicy green, arugula goes well with a variety of dishes. Tender shoots, as well as green leaves, can be eaten as is or added to various vegetable and combination salads.
It goes well with fish and meat dishes, cheese, eggs, mushrooms and seafood. It can be used to prepare first courses, sauces and pastas. Often this herb is added to pizza, adding it either at the very end of heat treatment or immediately after its completion.
Leafy greens are great for making sandwiches. It is used as a filling for pies, rolls, and vegetable casseroles.
Arugula can be combined with other greens or replaced with lettuce and basil. Its taste characteristics provide a good combination with garlic, nuts, and olive oil. The seeds of the plant are also used as food. They contain a considerable amount of mustard oil, which is why eruca seed is added to the mustard composition.
Please note that it is not advisable to cut arugula with a knife. Usually, small leaves are placed whole in salads, and larger ones are torn into arbitrary pieces by hand. You can also use a ceramic knife.
1. Salad with tomatoes and mozzarella
- mozzarella cheese - 2-3 pcs. (can be replaced with unsalted cheese - 100 g);
- medium tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
- vegetable oil, preferably olive oil - 2 large spoons;
— balsamic vinegar (if you don’t have it, use apple cider vinegar);
- Yalta onion - 1 small head;
- arugula, basil;
- pepper, salt, preferably sea salt.
Cheese or feta cheese is cut into small cubes. Tomatoes are washed and chopped, clean greens are torn by hand. Onions can be cut into rings. Combine the ingredients, add the remaining components and mix.
The finished salad can be decorated with pomegranate seeds. Any nuts will also be appropriate. If desired, you can add shrimp to the salad.
Last year we prepared a salad with arugula and cherry tomatoes. I suggest watching the video clip. It turns out no less tasty and healthy.
2. Warm salad
— compact-sized boiled pasta (shells, bows, horns) – 150 g;
- garlic - 1 clove;
— fried chicken breast – 150 g;
— red bell pepper – 2 pcs.;
- vegetable oil (preferably olive) - 4 large spoons;
— olives – 10-12 pcs.;
- greens (arugula, spinach, cilantro);
— mustard — 0.5 small spoon;
- pepper, salt.
The peppers are baked in the oven whole without peeling. Cooking time – 25 minutes. After half of this period has passed, it will need to be turned over to the other side. While it's baking, you need to cook the pasta and drain the water. Also at this time you need to cut the chicken into cubes and fry in a small amount of oil.
The finished pepper is cleared of seeds and skin, cut into small pieces. There is no need to pour out the juice. Olives are pitted and chopped.
Olive oil, lemon squeeze, salt, pepper, juice from peppers are mixed, garlic gruel and mustard are added.
Place all the ingredients that have not yet cooled down into a deep container, pour in the dressing, and sprinkle with herbs. The dish is mixed and served.
3. Beet salad
— beetroot vinaigrette – 3 pcs. medium size;
– low-fat cottage cheese – 100 g;
— Crimean onion – 1 pc.;
- mustard with grains - 1 small spoon;
- wheat loaf - 2 slices;
– lemon squeeze – 1 large spoon;
- soy sauce - 1 small spoon;
- vegetable oil - 1 large spoon;
- arugula - 1 bunch.
The washed beets, without peeling, are wrapped in foil and baked for an hour, after which they are cooled and peeled. It will need to be cut into cubes. The loaf is cut into small pieces and dried.
For the dressing, mix oil, lemon juice, mustard, finely chopped onion, and soy sauce. Place the beets in a salad bowl and pour over the dressing. You should use half of the resulting volume. The greens are washed and placed on top of the beets.
The remaining dressing is poured onto it. Cottage cheese is laid out on top, separating small portions - it should be present in the salad not as a continuous mass, but in separate inclusions. The dish is ready.
4. Potato salad
– potatoes – 700 g;
— radish – 200 g;
— raw yolk – 1 pc.;
- onions - 2 pcs.;
- arugula - 1 bunch;
– vegetable oil – 100 ml;
- vinegar and mustard - a large spoon each;
- sugar - 1 small spoon;
- salt pepper.
Chop the boiled potatoes, cut the radishes into circles, and the onion into half rings. Tear the arugula into small pieces. Combine the yolk with mustard and sugar, beat, adding butter little by little. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour the resulting dressing over the vegetables and stir.
5. Salad with arugula, strawberries and pine nuts
We really liked the unusual and contrasting taste of the salad with arugula, strawberries and pine nuts. We prepared it during the strawberry season, I suggest watching the video recipe.
Why is arugula bitter or bitter - what can be done?
There are different varieties of arugula, some are not bitter, but some actually have a very bitter taste. Arugula has a spicy bitterness and nutty flavor.
But there are some factors that influence the bitterness in the leaves: arugula salad was not watered enough, it was cut when the leaves began to bloom, and it was stored for a long time. Mainly due to lack of moisture, the leaves become rough and bitter.
What to do to get rid of bitterness in arugula leaves
There are several ways to help get rid of bitterness. From my own experience, I will say that you should not leave the leaves in cold water overnight, they will lose their appearance and taste.
1 way. Pour cold water over the leaves for 20-30 minutes.
Method 2. Pour cold water over the leaves, adding salt at the same time. A tablespoon of salt per liter of water. Dissolve salt in water.
3 way. If after the manipulations done the leaves are a little bitter. Prepare the salad, season it with dressing, stir and leave to stand for 10 minutes, the bitterness in the leaves will go away.
All these methods have been personally tested by us. And initially, we didn’t understand the taste of this herb, but in salads, with various dressings - it’s a masterpiece! When they write or say that this is a tasteless and unpleasant herb, this is not true, you need to be able to cook it tasty.
How to select and store arugula greens
The main condition for choice is the freshness of the product. You should not purchase spoiled, wilted, yellowing leaves. Let them be young and small in size.
You need to make sure that you are purchasing arugula. Pay attention to the shape and smell of the leaf blades. They should exude a specific and slightly pungent aroma.
Arugula quickly loses its properties, so it is not stored for a long time. Greens can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than four days. To prevent it from wilting, it is better to wrap it in cellophane or cling film.
It is very convenient to use vacuum packaging for these purposes. And in order to prevent rotting and mold, the leaves should be dried beforehand if they are moistened.
Another good way to preserve product freshness. Place the bunch of leaves, base down, like a bouquet, in a small container of water. In hot weather, it is better to put it on the refrigerator shelf.
The plant can also be stored frozen. The leaves are first washed and allowed to dry. Arranged in small batches in bags, the arugula is sent to the freezer. Please note that after this the leaves may lose their taste. But the beneficial properties will not go away.
The frozen version can last for several months. In some cases, you can resort to drying the grass. But this is not recommended. Both taste and benefit, plants suffer greatly from this.
How to grow arugula at home
As already noted, the plant can be grown in open ground or in a greenhouse. Any housewife can cope with this task by planting grass in a flowerpot or small box at home. Most species of eruca are annual herbs. But there are also biennials. The plant will not grow well in acidic soil. If such a problem exists, the soil should be limed first.
If you want to grow arugula, you can go in two ways - sow seeds in the garden or first grow seedlings. In the second case, it is better to use peat pots. Seeds are sown in the last days of March.
Young sprouts do not need to be plucked, so they are planted together with peat cups. You should know that the plant can withstand slight drops in temperature without problems. Freezing down to -5 degrees is safe for arugula. The optimal temperature for active plant growth is +18 degrees.
The plant loves loosened soil. The beds must be watered and weeded. Without proper moisture, the leaves will become rough and bitter. In order for the spicy-nutty flavor characteristics to fully manifest themselves, you should not allow the green bushes to be placed too densely.
The gaps between rows should be at least 20 cm, and the interval during planting should be 8-10 cm. Greens tolerate shading well, but it is better to plant them in more open areas that are well lit. Then the taste qualities will be more pronounced.
The plant is capable of concentrating nitrate and other compounds in the green mass. Therefore, you should not be particularly zealous with fertilizing the soil. This applies not only to nitrates, but also to organic feeding. The high content of essential compounds protects the plant from both disease and pest invasion. Therefore, special measures in this regard should not be resorted to.
Leaves and shoots can be harvested when the plants reach a height of 10 cm. As the arugula grows, the harvest can be repeated.
If you want to grow eruka at home, then it is more convenient to use small boxes for these purposes, although ordinary flower pots are also suitable. First the seeds are sown. After growing, the sprouts need to be planted
It is better to place only one plant in each flowerpot. If you use wide pots, you can plant two sprouts at a distance from each other. This is a light-loving plant, so it is better to place the pots on the windowsill or in close proximity to it.
Arugula requires regular watering. After the plant fades, the greens become coarse and tasteless. To avoid this, emerging buds should be cut off in a timely manner. This way you can enjoy tasty and healthy greens at any time of the year.
Loading...