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Tender baby arugula is tossed together with basic ingredients like thinly sliced white onion, cucumbers, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese then dressed with my easy Dijon vinaigrette. This simple arugula salad is equal parts elegant and easy, and is the perfect side salad for any meal.
One of the funniest ingredients to me that we have in the United States vs. the UK is arugula. Over there, they call it rocket (from the French origin roquette), and when I first visited London, I was bewildered at the name. Whenever I’m over there, it always takes me a minute to get my bearings and realize arugula = rocket. Simple rocket salad or simple arugula salad? I kind of like the ring rocket gives while arugula makes it seem a touch more elegant. Anyway, whatever you call it, this simple arugula salad is well, classically simple and incredibly easy to make!
Why I Love This Arugula Salad
I love this simple arugula salad for a multitude of reasons.
- One, of course I love how simple it is. It’s five basic ingredients and you can easily dress it up or down. Personally, I like keeping it simple. You really don’t need a heaping full of toppings on this.
- Second, this has been one of my favorite items to meal prep on Sundays. In a very large bowl, I put a bag of baby arugula then all the toppings and using my [clean] hands, I toss it all together and put it into a large glass container with a lid. It keeps in the refrigerator all week and when we need a side salad for dinner, it’s ready. Or, for lunch, I’ll make myself a small plate with grilled chicken strips on top.
- Finally, this arugula salad pairs well with my Dijon vinaigrette and I think they are the perfect duo. Both can be made ahead of time and both really should come as a package deal. You can’t go wrong with the simplicity of it all!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add-Ins
- Feel free to mix and match greens. I would keep to baby greens like baby spinach or baby kale as they’re more tender and they are delicate like the baby arugula used in this salad. You don’t want a bite of tender baby arugula and a coarse kale leaf.
- I personally feel the add-ins already in this salad are perfect as-is. This isn’t one of those salads where you need to load up on the toppings. That said, you could swap out the pine nuts for chopped walnuts or sliced almonds. Keep the white onions instead of swapping for red onions. The white onion pairs extremely well with the peppery bite of the baby arugula.
- If you’re eating this salad as a meal, add some air fried blackened chicken on top, grilled chicken strips, or air fried chicken nuggets.
Pro Tips
For the thinly sliced white onions and the thinly sliced cucumbers, use a mandolin. There is something about thinly sliced white onions that absolutely make this salad. It’s so much better than regular sliced. For my mandolin, I used setting #3.
Do not dress the salad because then you can’t store leftovers. Leave the salad undressed, divide evenly to serve, then dress it.
Storage Instructions
Store salad, undressed, in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. A great way to store salad is to place paper towels on the top of the salad then store upside down. The idea is that any built up moisture will be caught by the paper towels and will make your salad last longer.
Simple Arugula Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (68 g) pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 7 ounce (199 g) bag of baby arugula
- 1 medium white onion, very thinly sliced
- 4 persian cucumbers, very thinly sliced
- 1 cup (100 g) shaved parmesan cheese
- Dijon vinaigrette
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Lightly toast pine nuts over low-medium heat until just browned on the outside and starting to smell fragrant. Remove from heat.½ cup (68 g) pine nuts
- Add the entire bag of baby arugula to a large bowl.7 ounce (199 g) bag of baby arugula
- Top with thinly sliced white onion, cucumber, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.1 medium white onion, 4 persian cucumbers, 1 cup (100 g) shaved parmesan cheese
- Using your hands or tongs, toss salad together to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Dress individual salads with Dijon vinaigrette and add a twist of cracked black pepper on top.Dijon vinaigrette, Cracked black pepper
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
