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Arugula Salad

Whip up this arugula salad in just 5 minutes. Fresh arugula tossed with shaved parmesan, pepita seeds and a light lemon vinaigrette. It’ll be your favorite side salad.

This arugula salad recipe is the solution for when you want to serve an impressive, restaurant-worthy salad but don’t want to leave your kitchen! Lots of vibrant and peppery arugula, salty parmesan, and crunchy pepitas are the perfect base for a whisked vinaigrette that’s ready in seconds. Packed with lemon juice, olive oil, and honey for a dash of sweetness, good luck buying a salad dressing from the store ever again.

Why You’ll Love This Arugula Salad Recipe

This salad is a game-changer, even if you’ve never particularly loved eating your greens. Everyone will love it!

  • Simple. You only need 3 ingredients for the salad and 5 for the vinaigrette. It’s that easy!
  • Quick. Ready in 10 minutes, there’s literally no excuse not to eat your leafy greens anymore.
  • Prep-friendly. Prepare the salad and dressing in advance for a quick lunch or side throughout the week.
Ingredients for Arugula Salad.

What You’ll Need

It’s all about the arugula’s freshness for the best summer salad ever. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

Salad

  • Arugula – Depending on where you live, arugula is sometimes also called “rocket.”
  • Parmesan cheese – Ideally get a block of parm and grate it. You’ll get the most flavor this way.
  • Raw pepitas – Toasted pepitas are great too.

Vinaigrette

  • Garlic clove – Please don’t use garlic powder.
  • Lemon juice – You can also use half the amount of lime juice.
  • Olive oil
  • Honey – Raw honey is best.
  • Salt and pepper

How to Make Arugula Salad

You literally can’t complain about a 2-step salad. Here’s a quick look at how to make. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more printal instructions.

  • Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Set it aside.
  • Toss the salad. Mix the arugula, parmesan, and pepita seeds in a salad bow. Drizzle the dressing over the salad or serve it on the side. Serve and enjoy.

Tips & Variations

  • Use a salad mix. No worries if you don’t have lots of fresh arugula at home, you can use your favorite salad mix instead.
  • Prep ahead. Whisk the dressing and toss the salad in advance so all you have to do is mix them together seconds before digging in for lunch or dinner.
  • Use store-bought. While this vinaigrette is way better, don’t worry if you don’t have all of the ingredients to make it. Use your favorite store-bought one instead.
  • Add nuts and seeds. Aside from pepitas, almonds, walnuts, pecans, and sunflower seeds are great swaps in this recipe. You can also add a mix of them for more flavor!
  • Make it zestier. Add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest for a kick of citrusy goodness.
  • Add protein. Top this salad with grilled chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken for some extra protein.
Photo of simple arugula salad in a bowl.

Proper Storage

Refrigerate the salad and vinaigrette separately for up to 5 days. Keep it away from strong-smelling foods to avoid the transfer of odors. When on the counter for serving, keep it away from direct sunlight or sources of humidity.

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Arugula salad recipe in a bowl.

Arugula Salad

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  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Bowl
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Whip up this simple arugula salad recipe in just 5 minutes. Fresh arugula tossed with shaved parmesan, pepita seeds and a light lemon vinaigrette. It’ll be your favorite side salad.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 5oz. arugula
  • 1/3 cup of shaved parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons raw pepitas

Lemon Vinaigrette:

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Salt & Pepper to season

Instructions

  1. To a small bowl add, garlic clove, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified, or when the lemon juice and olive oil no longer separate. Set aside.
  2. To a large bowl add, arugula, shaved parmesan, and pepita seeds. Drizzle the dressing over the arugula and gently toss to coat everything. Serve immediately.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
  • Calories: 163
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Sodium: 162 mg
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Cholesterol: 7 mg

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10 comments on “Arugula Salad”

  1. This sounds like a perfect salad! Thanks so much for partying with us at Time to Sparkle Tuesday : )

    xoxo Liz

  2. Avatar photo
    Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

    Healthy and Tasty! Perfect Combo! Thanks for sharing on Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s!!!

  3. Arugula is my favorite green! I love the bite that it gives any salad! You know, oftentimes, simple is best, and this is no exception!

    1. I know.. I didn’t start using it till recently. But the spiciness from the arugula is awesome. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Tanya!

  4. Avatar photo
    Cindy Eikenberg

    Krista, always looking for new, simple salad recipes and love spinach! Thanks for sharing this and pinning! Enjoy your week!

    1. Me too… let me know when you find your next one.. I would love to try it! 🙂 Thanks for pinning and stopping by chica 🙂

  5. Avatar photo
    lisa@cookingwithcurls

    Wow…that is simple!!! We could all use some simple in our lives couldn’t we? I am jealous that you get to play in your backyard already 😉 Have a great week, Lisa

    1. Yes, simple lives PLEEASE!!! I just need to get out of my own way to make that “simple life” happen. 🙂 Backyard play was fun.. minus the fire ants and grass snakes.. yuck! Thanks for stopping by Lisa! 🙂