Salad with Mussels, Mozzarella, and Arugula

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a salad with mussels, mozzarella, and arugula? Gather the ingredients. Use any ready-to-eat mussels — in oil or marinade; with the latter the salad will be lower in calories. Use mozzarella in mini balls.

2. Step 2:

   

   Take the mussels out of the oil. You can even set them on paper towels to blot off excess oil.

3. Step 3:

   

   Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and cut them into rounds or wedges. Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use regular ones cut smaller.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash the arugula and basil and dry them well — excess liquid will make the salad watery, and the greens themselves will wilt quickly. You can dry them with towels or use a salad spinner.

5. Step 5:

   

   Take the mozzarella out of the brine and dry it. If the balls are large, cut them in half.

6. Step 6:

   

   Make the dressing. Gather the ingredients for it. Use good-quality, cold-pressed oil — it's the tastiest and healthiest. Zest the lemon, then squeeze the juice from it.

7. Step 7:

   

   How do you make the dressing? Combine the olive oil with the lemon juice, grated lemon zest, ground black pepper, and salt.

8. Step 8:

   

   Mix everything until smooth.

9. Step 9:

   

   Put the arugula and basil on a platter or in a salad bowl. Arrange the cherry tomato slices, mozzarella balls, and mussels on top. You can spoon the mussels right out of the jar along with some oil — but not too much, since we already have the dressing.

10. Step 10:

    

    Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve immediately. Fresh-vegetable salads don't keep long — the greens wilt and release juice, so the salad loses both flavor and looks. Enjoy!