Easy Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing and Shaved Parmesan (2024)

Last Updated on: 1st June 2024, 12:12 pm

This simple arugula salad dressing recipe is made with an easy homemade, perfect lemon vinaigrette that has just the right amount of lemon flavor that makes the best arugula salad! It’s made with basic ingredients and is low carb!

Once you make this easy arugula salad dressing recipe, add it to fresh baby arugula and top it with shaved parmesan cheese, you’ve got yourself a delicious salad in minutes! It’s the perfect side dish for grilled chicken, steak or shrimp.

This is the kind of arugula salad you’d find on top of pizza with prosciutto or bresaola, which is one of my absolute favorites, in a bistro or Italian restaurant.

Italian cooking is known for it’s simplicity because fresh, quality ingredients are center stage. Arugula is widely used in Italian cuisine and is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, making it a healthy option.

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Where do I find arugula?

Grocery storessell arugula in the produce department near the lettuce. It’s sold in bags (such as salad bags) or boxy plastic containers.

What is the flavor of arugula?

Arugula is aleafy greenvegetable that has apeppery flavorwithspicy notes. The stems are a little stiff and the leaves are tender.

What flavors go well with arugula?

Lemon, olives, onions, parmesan cheese, prosciutto, bresaola,pine nuts,balsamic vinegarare flavors that go well with arugula.

Arugula Salad Add ins

Arugula salad is versatile because you can serve it a simple side dish or make it into a delicious lunch salad by adding some, grilled chicken, extra veggies like cherry tomatoes and red onions, white beans, or feta cheese or goat cheese. This salad dressing will taste great with add ins too.

ArugulaSalad DressingRecipe

This arugula salad dressing recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, freshly cracked black pepper and salt. If you want to add bit of sweetness, you may add one teaspoon of honey or more to your liking.

ArugulaSalad DressingIngredients

*The full, printable recipe is in therecipe cardbelow.

• extra virgin olive oil
• whole lemon (forfresh lemon juiceandlemon zest)
• garlic clove
• freshly crackedblack pepper
• salt

You may put the salad dressing in a small Mason jar so that you can store it for when you’re ready to use it. Of course this recipe can be used for regular green salads as well. It’ll last in your refrigerator for several days.

Arugula Salad Ingredients

• baby arugula or arugula
• parmesan cheese wedge
• pine nuts(optional)

Arugula Salad RecipeInstructions

First, make thesalad dressingwith the ingredients and stir well.

Then, add the arugula to a mixing bowl followed by the salad dressing. This saves you an extra bowl to wash. Stir to combine arugula with lemon dressing. Let it sit about 10 minutes before serving so the arugula can absorb some of the dressing.

Next, with a cheese slicer orvegetable peeler, shave off some pieces of parmesan cheese off of the the parmesan cheese wedge. Addpine nutsif desired.

What to serve with Arugula Salad

Grilled (or air fried) chicken is a great main dish to serve with arugula.

Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken Breast

Air Fryer Garlic Rosemary Chicken Thighs

Easy Grilled Balsamic Chicken Breast with Marinade Recipe

These chicken recipes will go great with it also.

How to Fry Chicken Cutlets Without Breadcrumbs Recipe

Easy One-pan Skillet Caprese Chicken Recipe

Because this arugula salad is made with basic ingredients, it’s the perfect side dish for weeknight meals or lunch. It’s a healthy salad to serve at your dinner table when you’re trying to eat healthier. It goes well with grilled chicken, steak, pork or fish or seafood.