May 30, 2011

Caprese Beet Salad with Balsamic Glaze




Happy Memorial Day!

Although I am a big fan of beets I have never cooked them myself.  When I saw both red and golden beets at the Farmer's Market I knew that the golden beets would be going home with me.  I decided to go for a simple preparation and use them in a salad.  I had already planned a Caprese Salad, so it was an easy decision to add the beets to it.

The Caprese Salad was created in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo. The salad usually takes the form of tomato, mozzarella and basil.  The traditional dressing is a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil as vinegar would destroy the delicate flavor of the cheese and is never used - except in my household.  I love this salad drizzled with a little balsamic glaze.  A balsamic glaze is a reduction made from balsamic vinegar, that results in a beautiful thick syrup that has a little sweetness to it.  I guess it is also very non-traditional to add beets to your Caprese Salad - what can I say, I'm a rebel.





This salad is something that we enjoy quite often as it is so easy to prepare.  I usually slice and layer the main ingredients on a platter and then cover it and place in the refrigerator until we are ready to serve.  All it needs is the basil, a little freshly ground salt and pepper, a quick drizzle of balsamic glaze and it is good to go.  I have also served it over a bed of arugula and this is great too.


Caprese Beet Salad with Balsamic Glaze
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 1-1lb log mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch slices (I always use the one from Costco)
  • 2 medium cooked beets, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • freshly ground salt and pepper
  • balsamic glaze, to drizzle
Preparation
  1. Layer the mozzarella, beet, and tomato.
  2. Arrange basil on top.
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs



16 comments:

  1. Mmmmmmm... I LOVE BEETS! They're so tasty with their wonderful earthy flavor :-)

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  2. Beautiful colours and flavours in this salad. It looks fabulous!!

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  3. What a great addition to your salad! I love beets and the colors are gorgeous!

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  4. Wow, I didn't even know there was a Golden beet. Looks great and I'm sure it tasted great, too!

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  5. I've never been a big beet fan, but this dish makes me want to start some experimentation. ;)

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  6. Yum! What a perfect summer side dish!

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  7. This looks delicious, and so healthy. Just what I need after a whole weekend of eating out!

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  8. I am a big advocate of authentic Italian food, but there is nothing wrong with innovating and revisiting, just as long as it still tastes good :) And I really want to eat your salad!

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  9. My boyfriends mom has been raving about beets lately though I have never really given them a try. This salad looks beautiful and I will have to share this with her!

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  10. Wow, this new spin on Caprese looks great. I will have to try.

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  11. What a great recipe! I've never seen caprese salad with beets before. Looks awesome!

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  12. Super creative and beautiful colors! Did you roast the beets?

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  13. @Tiffany
    Hi Tiffany, I just boiled the beets for about 30 minutes unpeeled. I then cooled them under running water and rubbed the skins gently to remove them. Next time I want to try roasting them.

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  14. This looks absolutely delicious. What a great summer salad. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Joanne

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  15. Oooh I love the addition of the beets in there. They look gorgeous!!

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