Arugula Salad
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Simple Arugula Salad – it’s made with a tasty blend of peppery arugula, sharp parmesan, flavor concentrated dried cranberries, and nutty almonds. And it’s finished with a refreshing, tart and lightly sweetened dressing to highlight it.
Refreshing Arugula Salad
It may not be the first type of salad you’d think to make because those humble arugula leaves are so often unappreciated and skipped over. But they are a nutritious little leaf with big flavor and they make an incredible salad.
This is a great recipe to have on hand for a quick side, plus it’s handy to have during the holidays when the other more popular lettuce choices are picked over.
Here you can switch up the ingredients based on what you have on hand. It’s a forgiving recipe with plenty of room for substitutions.
For instance, I’ve made this with lemon juice then balsamic vinegar and I’ve loved both options so I’ve listed either one to be used here. I leave it up to you to pick your favorite.
Then dried sweetened cherries would also be delicious in place of the cranberries, and pecans will work in place of the almonds. And why not feta for the parmesan?
Another option here is to convert this into a main dish by adding a protein to it such as grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. Lots of different variations here with this super easy, perfectly delicious salad!
Arugula Salad Recipe Ingredients
- 5 oz. baby arugula (full grown works too)
- 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (sweetened variety)
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan (1.5 oz)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or 2.5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Toast Almonds in the Oven
- To toast the sliced almonds preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread almonds out even on a baking sheet.
- Toast in oven until just barely golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes (for more even cooking you can toss halfway through).
- Let cool before using.
How to Make Arugula Salad
- Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill dressing for 15 minutes if time allows.
- To assemble salad: Toss the arugula with about 2/3 of the dressing then on a serving platter or individual salad plates layer half the arugula, half the almonds, half the cranberries and half the parmesan.
- Repeat layering then drizzle with remaining 1/3 of the dressing. Serve right away.
Make Ahead
- The dressing can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Ingredients can also be prepped several days in advance just wait to toss dressing with salad until you’re ready to serve (otherwise the leaves will wilt and get soggy).
More Delicious Salad Recipes to Try
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Arugula Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 oz. baby arugula (full grown works too)
- 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (sweetened variety)
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan (1.5 oz)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or 2.5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 15 minutes if time allows.
- To assemble salad: Toss the arugula with about 2/3 of the dressing then on a serving platter or individual salad plates layer half the arugula, half the almonds, half the cranberries and half the parmesan.
- Repeat layering then drizzle with remaining 1/3 of the dressing. Serve right away.