This fresh Arugula Salad recipe is bright and tangy with a homemade balsamic lemon vinaigrette that is bold and full of flavor. Prepare this onion and tomato rocket salad with freshly shaved parmesan cheese and toasted pinenuts for lunch or dinner!
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Why You Will Love This Rocket Salad?
- This arugula salad is an easy way to use up any leafy arugula you may have in the refrigerator! Add this simple salad to your list of favorite arugula recipes to serve whenever you want something quick but delicious.
- Enjoy this onion tomato rocket salad recipe for brunch, lunch, or dinner whenever you want some fresh ingredients and flavors. This salad is perfect alongside almost any type of food.
- Prepare this salad recipe to enjoy as a side salad with savory main dishes such as different proteins like fish, tofu, and chicken. You can also enjoy this wonderful salad with your favorite creamy pastas, too.
- The flavors from this arugula parmesan salad are incredible and so tasty! Bright flavors of lemon, peppery arugula, balsamic, garlic, and more come together to create a healthy and delicious salad you will want to eat over and over again.
Ingredients
The Dressing
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virigin olive oil is a silky and aromatic oil that brings all of the bold flavors together for the lemon vinaigrette dressing. Olive oil is preferred because of its distinct flavors, but you can use other types of vegetable oils.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This tangy and pungent vinegar is a key ingredient in the balsamic dressing and provides the best flavors for the salad. You can find balsamic vinegar in grocery stores in the oil aisles.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds a splash of bright citrus that gives this vinaigrette its name.
- Garlic Powder: Ground garlic powder is used to provide a little bit of extra savoriness to the dressing. Feel free to use a clove of freshly minced garlic in place of the powder.
- Salt and Pepper: Just a little bit of salt and pepper is used to give some extra flavor to the vinaigrette. Season to taste if you need to.
For the Salad
- Arugula: Also known as rocket or roquette, fresh baby arugula is a pungent and delicious green that is commonly enjoyed with other bright ingredients like citrus and parmesa. I like arugula because there is no other flavor quite like it.
- Onions: One sliced red onion is just enough for this arugula salad recipe! The onion provides some crispiness to the salad.
- Tomatoes: Use halved or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes. If you do not have access to cherry tomatoes, then you can chop a bigger tomato into smaller pieces.
- Pine Nuts: Make sure the pine nuts or toasted so they provide the buttery and nutty flavors that are known for. Toasted pinenuts are the perfect additions to this salad!
- Parmesan Cheese: I like to use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan into small ribbons. Of course, you can use freshly garted parmesan for this recipe, too.
How To Make Arugula Salad?
You will love the delicious and healthy flavors of this rocket salad with parmesan. Easy, savory, and so good any day of the week whenever you want a yummy salad.
First, make the dressing in a small bowl. Combine the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well-whisked.
In a large bowl, add the arugula leaves, sliced red onions, and quartered tomatoes. Drizzle the salad with the prepared vinaigrette and gently and lightly toss the salad ingredients together.
Next, top the prepared salad with toasted pinenuts and parmesan shavings. Serve and enjoy!
FAQs
Yes! You can make the salad dressing up to five days in advance. Just refrigerate the prepped ingredients and toss everything together just before serving.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use clean and dry arugula to avoid soggy leaves in the salad. There should be no excess moisture in the arugula.
- Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving to prevent the greens from wilting.
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan into tiny ribbons.
- Enjoy with shredded or grated parmesan cheese instead of shaved parmesan.
Salad Variations
- Add Nuts - Feel free to add chopped pecans, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts to provide extra protein, crunch, and nuttiness.
- Cheeses – Instead of using parmesan cheese, use crumbled goat cheese or feta, pecorino, or soft blue cheese.
- Veggies and Fruits – Add some fresh fruit and vegetables to this salad such as apples, beets, pears, peaches, avocados, carrots, spinach, radishes, strawberries, dried cranberries, and much more.
Storage Tips
Since this salad has a tendency to wilt, this salad is good to be stored for just one day after preparing. So be sure to eat the salad right away!
Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Serving Ideas
This arugula parmesan salad is delicious with warm pizzas, pasta, rice, bread, and more.
Enjoy this salad with grilled chicken or other chicken recipes, seafood such as shrimp and salmon, or cooked vegetables.
Other Yummy Salad Recipes
- Beet Salad with Feta and Quinoa
- Peach Salad with Arugula and Burrata
- Kale Apple Salad
- Arugula Apple Pear Pomegranate Fall Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
If you made this recipe for my Rocket Salad with Parmesan, then please be sure to rate and review it below!
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📖 Recipe
Arugula Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Baby Arugula
- ⅓ cup Red Onion (sliced)
- ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved or quartered)
- 3 tablespoons Pine Nuts (toasted)
- ¼ cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese
For Dressing
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper and whisk well.
- In a large bowl, add arugula rocket, sliced red onions, and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the prepared balsamic lemon vinaigrette and give a very gentle toss to coat.
- Top with toasted pine nuts and parmesan shavings. Serve!
Notes
- Be sure to use clean and dry arugula to avoid soggy leaves in the salad. There should be no excess moisture in the arugula.
- Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving to prevent the greens from wilting.
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan into tiny ribbons.
- Enjoy with shredded or grated parmesan cheese instead of shaved parmesan.
Amy Casey
Such a delicious salad ~ especially the vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts. I served it with shrimp scampi and everyone loved it.
Alex
I'm trying to make more salads and I'm glad I tried this one! Super easy and tasty, too! Thank you.
Erin
We loved this salad! Easy to make, quick and satisfying. Thanks for the recipe!
Amy Nash
I had no idea that arugula and rocket were the same thing! Love this perfectly balanced vinaigrette and how easy it is to throw together for a light and fresh lunch!
Jenny
I love a good salad, and your recipe does not disappoint. The salad came out amazing, and I love all the salad ingredients. It was such a winner and easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing; I will make it again!
Amy Liu Dong
Such a delicious, easy, and healthy salad recipe.
Perfect for my steak. Lol!
Mikayla
A great salad for a lighter meal, just the right amount crunch and warm flavor from the cheese.
Dennis Littley
I love arugula and your salad was a delicious beginning to our dinner!
Angie
Sounds very light and nutritious. The balsamic and Parmesan have me convinced it’s a wonderfully tasty salad.