Name: Arugula Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or white wine vinegar); 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground); 6 ounces arugula (about 6 cups); 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (shavings); 3 tablespoons roasted pistachios

A fresh arugula salad is the perfect side to go with almost any main course! This flavorful accompaniment is made with bright greens, salty parmesan cheese, roasted pistachios, and a homemade citrus dressing.

Not sure what to serve with dinner? This simple salad is a great go-to. It’s extremely easy and convenient because it requires minimal ingredients and comes together in only 10 minutes. I especially love making this salad in the spring and summer months, as it goes fabulously with any grilled meat, but you can absolutely enjoy it year-round!

Arugula is both tasty and super fresh! If you like this recipe and want to include more arugula in your life, be sure to check out these recipe variations: Sweet Potato Arugula Salad and Clementine Arugula Salad!

Also, I often use arugula in this Autumn Beet Orange Salad. Fun fact: this leafy green can usually be purchased year-round, but its high seasons are spring and fall.

How To Make Arugula Salad

Salad Ingredients

Arugula — A delicious dark, leafy green featuring bright and peppery flavor.
Cheese — I prefer to shave a block of fresh Parmesan by hand because it elevates flavor so much. A block of Parm will last in the refrigerator for quite some time if you wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, so you can use it over and over again in your home cooking. You can use a pre-shaved or shredded cheese to save a little time, but doing it by hand is totally worth the extra effort.
Pistachios — Purchase roasted nuts from the store, or toast them yourself in the oven. Be sure to remove shells, if necessary (some come with the shell already removed).

Arugula Salad Dressing Ingredients

Oil — Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to, though grapeseed or avocado oil would also work!
Acid — I love using fresh lemon juice in this salad, white wine vinegar is another good option.
Seasonings — Simple salt and black pepper taste excellent, but feel free to experiment and play with the spices in your cabinet.

Instructions

Make dressing:

Pile arugula in a large salad bowl.
Next, measure dressing ingredients into a mason jar or small bowl. Place a lid on the jar and shake until emulsified. If you don’t have a lid, use a whisk instead!

Assemble the salad:

Drizzle vinaigrette recipe over arugula and toss until leaves are well coated.
Mix in your parmesan cheese shavings (use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan) and roasted pistachios.

Left: arugula in bowl. Right: arugula salad in glass bowl.

Serve:

Portion salad into serving bowls, if desired, and enjoy. Note: you can certainly add extra cheese and pistachios if you want!

More Cookout Sides

I love serving this arugula salad side dish at a cookout or barbeque because it goes really well with any grilled protein. If you need a few more sides for an outdoor event, I’ve got plenty of great recipes!

Serve Arugula Salad With

Cajun Grilled Chicken

45 mins

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

15 mins

Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe

1 hr 35 mins

Grilled Shrimp Recipe

11 mins

Pin Print

Arugula Salad

3.19 from 11 votes

Author: Olivia Ribas

people

A fresh arugula salad is the perfect side to go with almost any main course! This flavorful accompaniment is made with bright greens, salty parmesan cheese, roasted pistachios, and a homemade citrus dressing.

Video

Ingredients

For the dressing

▢ 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

For the salad

▢ 6 ounces arugula about 6 cups
▢ 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shavings
▢ 3 tablespoons roasted pistachios

Instructions

In a large salad bowl, add arugula.
In a mason jar, add all the ingredients for the dressing, close the lid and whisk everything together.
Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad and toss until all the ingredients are coated.
Then, garnish with parmesan cheese and pistachios.

Notes

Store-bought dressing works in this salad, but homemade tastes so much better and is super easy to make.

Making this salad in advance? Store dressing separately and add just before serving.

Mix in some spinach or other greens, if desired!

Other roasted nuts like pecans, walnuts or almonds would go great in this dish. You can also sub a different cheese like goat or feta.

If you like, add fresh or dried fruit to this salad for a touch of sweetness.

To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Without dressing, salad can last for up to a week, especially if you line your container with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4, Calories: 183kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 318mg, Potassium: 211mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did You Make This?

Follow @primaverakitchen on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #primaverakitchen. We’d love to see your recreation.

Arugula Salad