Strawberry, Mozzarella and Rocket Salad with Basil
- Savory
- Quick
- Light
- No cook
A light no-cook salad of sweet strawberries, torn mozzarella and peppery rocket, dressed with olive oil and balsamic and finished with basil.
- Total
- 12 min
- Prep 12
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Emulsifying · Balancing with acid
Instructions
-
Whisk 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper in a small bowl until the dressing looks glossy and slightly thickened.
~2 min
Whisking disperses the oil into the vinegar so the dressing emulsifies and clings to the leaves instead of pooling.
Emulsifying Whisk steadily while adding the oil so it breaks into tiny droplets; the dressing should look glossy and coat the back of a spoon. If it separates, whisk harder before adding more oil.
Balancing with acid Taste the dressing: the balsamic should brighten the sweet strawberries without overpowering them. Add acid gradually, since a little goes a long way.
-
Rinse 200 g strawberries, pat them dry, then hull and cut them into 1 cm slices.
~3 min
Patting the strawberries dry keeps their juices from diluting the dressing and making the salad watery.
-
Tear 125 g mozzarella into bite-sized pieces and drain 60 g rocket well. Pick 10 g basil leaves from their stems.
~3 min
Tear the mozzarella rather than slicing it: the rough surfaces catch the balsamic dressing better than smooth cut faces.
-
Scatter the rocket over a large platter, then arrange the strawberry slices and mozzarella pieces on top.
~2 min
-
Spoon the dressing over the salad, scatter the basil leaves on top and serve at once.
~2 min
Acid in the vinegar quickly breaks down rocket leaves, so dressing at the last moment keeps them crisp.
Dress the salad just before serving, since rocket wilts quickly once the vinegar hits it.
Balancing with acid Taste the dressing: the balsamic should brighten the sweet strawberries without overpowering them. Add acid gradually, since a little goes a long way.
