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Arugula Salad is light and fresh, and tossed in a simple lemon dressing. It’s the perfect side salad for any dinner and takes only minutes to toss together.
As a side dish or a starter, arugula salad pairs perfectly with hearty or heavier meals, like Sheet Pan Pizza, Instant Pot Spaghetti, or Chicken Pasta Bake.
Table of Contents
Why Arugula Is The BEST
- Good For You – It’s super nutritious and loaded with potassium, calcium, and vitamins.
- Flavorful – It adds so much flavor to your salads with its slightly spicy bite.
- Versatile Side Salad – Pair with almost any entree, like pasta, pizza, chicken, or fish! If you have leftover arugula, you can use it raw in sandwiches or on top of a pizza, or toss it into hot pasta or a quinoa salad.
Ingredients
Only a handful of simple ingredients are needed to make this super fresh tasting salad.
- Simple Lemon Dressing – Olive Oil, Lemon Juice (fresh is best!), Honey, Salt, and Pepper
- Fresh Arugula – A crisp, slightly spicy, peppery leafy green.
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese – Use a vegetable peeler to shave pieces of a block of fresh Parmesan.
- Croutons – I like to crush them up.
How To Make A Lemon Arugula Salad
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Mix Dressing – Whisk up the dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl. Taste and adjust, as needed.
Add Salad Ingredients – Toss the arugula into the dressing, then top with Parmesan shavings and croutons. Serve immediately and enjoy!
FAQs
Fresh arugula can be eaten raw in salads – on its own or even mixed up with other lettuce like mixed greens or spinach. It also is great in sandwiches, tossed into pasta, or on top of pizza. If you have a lot of arugula you can also use it to make pesto.
A lemon olive oil dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Be aware that the olive oil will solidify in the cold fridge, so you’ll want to let it sit at room temperature to warm up. Or in a pinch, you can place the jar under running warm water to speed up the process. Once warmed, give the dressing another whisk or shake up in a jar.
Serving Suggestions
This is a great side salad or starter for so many meals. Some of our favorites are:
- Pasta – Serve alongside pasta like this Chicken Pasta Bake, Garlic Parmesan Pasta, or Sausage and Tortellini Skillet.
- Pizza – Whether you order pizza delivery or make a pie from scratch like this Sheet Pan Pizza or French Bread Pizza.
- Chicken or Fish – Or pair this salad with a protein like Lemon Garlic Chicken or Baked Salmon.
Storage and Make Ahead
Make Ahead – You can prepare the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Make sure to bring it to room temperature and give it another mix before using. Then right before serving, just toss with the salad ingredients as written.
Storage – Once the salad is dressed, it’s best eaten immediately. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 day, but the arugula will wilt a little bit. To freshen it up, you can toss in some more fresh arugula.
Expert Tips
- Add Paper Towel to Arugula Container – This is my favorite tip for any fresh lettuce. The day you bring arugula or any other lettuce home from the store, add a clean paper towel to the container or bag. This will help absorb any moisture to keep the lettuce crisp for longer.
- Adjust Dressing to Taste – The dressing is super forgiving, so you can adjust to your taste and preference. Want it sweeter? Add a little more honey. Less acidic? Add a little more oil.
More Salad Recipes
- Kale Salad
- Steakhouse Chopped Salad
- Butter Lettuce Salad
- Easy Copycat Olive Garden Salad
- Panera Green Goddess Salad
Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups fresh arugula
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup croutons crushed
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. This dressing is very forgiving so you are free to adjust as you please.
- Add the arugula to the bowl and toss with the lemon dressing. Top with the crushed croutons and shaved Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
