Beet and Mozzarella Salad with Arugula and Balsamic Dressing is just like Caprese salad but with the beets instead of tomatoes! It's colorful, meatless, vegetarian, healthy, and gluten-free! You can use oven-roasted, boiled, marinated, or pickled beets. This salad blends together earthy, savory, and sweet flavors in a perfect combination!
Healthy Beet Caprese Salad
This vibrant salad features 2 kinds of beets - red and golden. That really adds to the presentation. I also used small fresh Mozzarella balls ("pearls") that go well along with bite-sized diced cooked beets. The beets and Mozzarella cheese are nestled on top of the bed of arugula greens and drizzled with the honey-balsamic dressing. It's actually very much like a Caprese salad but with beets instead of tomatoes. This simple salad is meatless, gluten-free, packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. It's a great recipe for a regular weeknight or a special occasion.
Main ingredients
- Beets are healthy root vegetables. I used 2 types: regular red beets and golden beets. You can roast them in the oven or boil them on the stovetop. You can also use marinated or pickled beets.
- Mozzarella cheese. I used small fresh Mozzarella balls ("pearls").
- Arugula has a peppery flavor that goes well with beets. It's rich in Vitamins A, C, and K, and is a great source of calcium, potassium, and folate.
- Salad dressing. The Balsamic drizzle is made from scratch by cooking down Balsamic vinegar + honey until syrupy consistency. You can also use store-bought Balsamic glaze or your favorite store-bought Balsamic dressing. Or, simply combine balsamic vinegar + honey (without cooking it down) for a delicious glaze.
When are beets in season?
Beets are usually available all year-long, but you get better quality and more variety of beets between June and October. During this season, the beets are at their best. Golden beets are often available only between June and October (in my experience).
Beets nutrition
Beets are highly nutritious root vegetables. They contain so many essential vitamins, including Folate, C, and B6. They are also a great source of potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium, and iron.
How to make balsamic dressing
Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down the balsamic vinegar together with a small amount of honey or brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half. For example, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar in a small saucepan and cook it down for about 10 minutes on low heat. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick. It's a perfect dressing for a Beet Caprese Salad with Mozzarella and Arugula.
Variations, substitutions, and add-ins
Beet and Mozzarella salad is an incredibly flexible recipe that you can easily adjust depending on what you have available.
- Greens. Use your favorite greens - spinach, arugula, mixed greens, garden greens, and lettuce.
- Add nuts. I recommend toasted pine nuts or any kind of candied nuts.
- Dried fruit pairs exceptionally well with beets. You can add Craisins (dried cranberries), dried figs, blueberries, or cherries.
- Cheese. Beet salad is delicious with Mozzarella cheese, Burrata, Goat cheese, Feta, or Gorgonzola.
Tips for making it ahead
- Pre-cook the beets. Boil or roast the beets up to 3 days in advance. Keep cooked beets refrigerated in an airtight container (or in a plastic bag).
- The assembly should take only 10 minutes. Do it right before serving for the best results and freshness.
- Don't add balsamic dressing until right before serving to keep the salad fresh and pretty!
Storage Tips
- It's best to serve beet and mozzarella salad right away, so I recommend making just enough so that you have no leftovers.
- If you do have leftovers, the salad can be refrigerated for 2 days. It's best to refrigerate the salad and the dressing separately.
Other beet salads you might like
- Simple Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Spinach
- Beet Salad with Spinach, Cashews, Cranberries, and Goat Cheese
- Beet Salad with Spinach, Mandarin Oranges, Pine Nuts, and Honey-Mustard Lemon Dressing
Beet and Mozzarella Salad with Arugula and Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
Salad ingredients
- 1.5 lb red and golden beets cooked, peeled, diced into small cubes
- 5 oz arugula or spinach
- 6 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese pearls
Instructions
Salad Dressing - Balsamic Glaze
- In a small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and honey over medium heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and reduces by about half (about 10 or so minutes).
- Remove from heat and pour the balsamic glaze into a heat-proof bowl to cool off. The glaze will get thicker as it cools off.
- Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
- Alternatively, you can simply mix ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey and use that as a glaze.
Salad assembly
- This recipe uses cooked beets. I highly recommend that you pre-cook the beets 1 to 3 days in advance. See notes below on how to roast the beets in the oven or how to boil them.
- I prefer to arrange the salad in individual bowls for presentation purposes. It's especially essential for a beet salad as beets tend to color everything they touch purple.
- Add arugula to each individual salad bowl or a plate. Top with diced cooked red and golden beets. Add fresh Mozzarella cheese ("pearls") on top. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze or dressing. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
What kind of beets to use?
- Use cooked beets, marinated beets, or pickled beets.
How to roast raw beets in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Wash beets really well under running water, removing any dirt. Slice off stringy parts from the top and the bottom of each beet.
- Wrap each beet in a piece of foil airtight and arrange the beets on the foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 1 hour or until the beets are soft when pierced with a fork.
- Remove from oven, unwrap carefully, and let them cool, and only then peel.
How to boil raw beets
- Wash beets really well under running water, removing any dirt. Slice off stringy parts from the top and the bottom of each beet.
- Place raw beets in a large saucepan and cover with water.
- Bring to boil - it usually takes 10 minutes for the water with beets to start boiling.
- Once the water starts to boil, boil the beets for 20-30 minutes or more, depending on the thickness and the size of your beets.
- The beets are done when they can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.
- Carefully remove the beets from the pot of hot water using a large fork or tongs.
- Let them cool before you peel them.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Made this to accompany home/made spicy beef burgers. A lovely companion.
So glad you tried this recipe, Jill! Thank you for your review! 🙂