Arugula Salad

This tasty Arugula Salad combines peppery arugula, almond slivers, crisp apple, shaved Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, and thin sliced red onions, all tossed with a light lemon mustard vinaigrette. Enjoy this flavor-packed side dish with pizza, chicken, fish, beef, or pasta.

How To Make Arugula Salad

Start by whisking the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Then, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next, in a large bowl, combine the arugula, almonds, apple, cranberries, red onion, and shaved Parmesan. Then drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. For best results, serve promptly.

Beth’s Recipe Tips

• Prepare the vinaigrette up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before tossing the salad. Whisk or shake to recombine the ingredients.
• Dry the arugula well before starting the salad.
• Toss the apple slices with lemon juice to prevent the slices from browning.
• Shave the Parmesan using a vegetable peeler.
• Use slivered or sliced almonds. Both work well and taste delicious.
• Slice the red onions as thinly as possible.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day, but remember that the arugula will wilt if tossed with the vinaigrette.

How to make it ahead

Prepare the lemon mustard vinaigrette up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before tossing the salad. Whisk or shake the dressing to recombine the ingredients.

Assemble the ingredients for the salad up to 1 day in advance. But do not add the apple or Parmesan Cheese, and do not toss it with the vinaigrette. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to serve. When ready to serve, cut the apple and toss with lemon juice. Then add to the salad with the shaved Parmesan. Then, toss with the vinaigrette and serve.

Arugula Salad Recipe Variations

• Cheese – bleu cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella balls, Romano, Asiago, or Feta
• Nuts and Seeds – pecans, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, or chia seeds
• Fruit – dried cranberries, raisins, pears, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, peaches, or raspberries
• Meat – prosciutto, grilled steak, smoked salmon, grilled chicken, or salami
• Vegetables – tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumber, or avocados
• Fresh Herbs – basil, cilantro, mint, or ginger

More easy salad recipes

Arugula Salad

A tasty, simple salad made with arugula, almonds, crisp apples, dried cranberries, red onions, and Parmesan Cheese all drizzled with a light easy four-ingredient lemon mustard vinaigrette.  

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Salad
• 5 ounces baby arugula
• ⅓ cup slivered almonds
• 1 apple cored and sliced in small bites
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
• ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and Dijon mustard in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• In a small bowl toss the cut apples with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. 
• In a large bowl, combine the arugula, almonds, apple, cranberries, red onion, and shaved Parmesan. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. For best results, serve the salad promptly. 

Notes

• Prepare the vinaigrette up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before tossing the salad. Whisk or shake to recombine the ingredients.
• Dry the arugula well before starting the salad.
• Toss the apple slices with lemon juice to prevent the slices from browning.
• Shave the Parmesan using a vegetable peeler.
• Use slivered or sliced almonds. Both work well and taste delicious.
• Slice the red onions as thinly as possible.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day but keep in mind that the arugula will wilt some if it has been tossed with the vinaigrette.  

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 895IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 1mg

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