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Here’s the simplest salad you’ll ever make! This easy arugula salad comes together in minutes. You don’t even need to make a dressing!
There’s a place for making recipes like sourdough bread and a margherita pizza with homemade dough. But when it comes to side dishes, I want easy. This simple arugula salad is quite possibly the easiest salad you’ll make.
This simple arugula salad has become my go-to side dish because it requires zero actual cooking skills, comes together in under 10 minutes, and somehow manages to taste like something you’d order at a restaurant. The secret? High-quality ingredients and the perfect balance of peppery greens, bright lemon, and nutty Parmesan.
5 star reader review
“I love your recipes! This salad is SO easy and delicious. I have taken it to so many potlucks and it gets gobbled up in no time. I make it often for myself.” -Susan
Key ingredients for arugula salad
The ingredients in this arugula salad are simple; you’ll just need to make sure they’re high quality. Here’s what you need for this easy salad:
- Baby arugula: Baby arugula has a feathery texture and a mild flavor. Avoid standard arugula, which is much too strong.
- Shallot: Shallot adds a nuanced onion flavor.
- Olive oil and lemon juice: These make a quick, makeshift dressing. You’ll need a real lemon, so skip the fake juice. I like to add zest if I have time!
- Parmesan cheese shavings: For quick prep, buy Parmesan that’s already cut into shavings – or you can shave your own from a large block.
Why baby arugula makes all the difference
If you take away one thing here, remember this: this recipe only works if you use baby arugula. Using regular arugula (the kind usually sold in bunches) does not make the same dish. Here’s the difference:
- Baby arugula has tender, feathery leaves with a mild peppery flavor that adds interest without overwhelming your palate. The texture is delicate and almost melts in your mouth.
- Regular arugula has much thicker stems and a intense, sometimes bitter flavor that can dominate the entire salad. The leaves are tougher and require more chewing. It’s often sold as a bunch.
You can find baby arugula in lots of mainstream groceries and famer’s markets in the U.S. As a rule of thumb, if it’s sold as a bunch, stay away. Use the baby greens that are sold in packages or bags. If you end up with leftover arugula, you can make a batch of arugula pesto or throw it into other green salads.
Lemon zesting tips
Growing up, real lemons weren’t ever in our house. But now that I run my own kitchen, they’re a mainstay on the counter! Real lemon juice can’t be replicated by lemon juice in a bottle.
If you have time, add the zest of one half lemon to the mix. The best way to zest a lemon is using a microplane grater, which makes quick work of it.
Substitutions and variations
This salad works extremely well with a thinly sliced, crisp tart apple. I love it so much that way that I included this as a recipe in Alex and my latest cookbook.
It also works great with sliced roasted beets in an arugula beet salad. You can also try adding toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds, or even sliced cherry tomatoes. However, I’ve learned to resist the temptation to add too many extras here; this salad’s magic comes from its restraint.
Ways to serve this easy arugula salad
This arugula salad is so classic and simple, it goes with almost every vibe of food. It’s especially perfect alongside Italian recipes, Mediterranean meals, or as a side for soup. Here are a few ways to serve it:
- Pizza: This one is perfect for a pizza party. Try it with healthy pizza, mushroom pizza, or cheese pizza.
- Salmon: It works really well with lemon dill salmon or baked salmon.
- Pasta: Try it with vegan lasagna, cavatappi, or mushroom pasta.
- Shrimp: Arugula salad pairs well with shrimp fra diavola or shrimp paella.
- Soup: Pair with wild rice soup or lentil soup.
Storage and make-ahead tips
While this salad is best enjoyed fresh, I’ve learned a few tricks for storing leftovers:
Refrigerator storage: If you have leftovers (which rarely happens at my house!), store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The arugula will wilt, but it’s still perfectly edible.
Make-ahead tip: You can prep the shallots and Parmesan shavings up to a day ahead and store them separately. Don’t dress the arugula until just before serving, as the acid in the lemon juice will cause the leaves to wilt.
Dietary notes
This arugula salad is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use vegan Parmesan.
Easy Arugula Salad
Here’s the simplest salad you’ll ever make! This easy arugula salad is fool-proof: you don’t even need to make dressing. It comes together in minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese shavings (about 1.5 ounces)*
- 1 small shallot
- 8 cups (5 ounces) baby arugula (do not use standard arugula, usually sold in bunches)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice + zest of ½ lemon
Instructions
- If necessary, shave the Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler.
- Thinly slice shallot.
- In large bowl, place the baby arugula, olive oil, lemon zest (optional), lemon juice, and kosher salt.
- Use your hands to toss everything so it’s evenly coated.
- Add the Parmesan shavings and shallot and toss for a few seconds until combined.
- Taste and add additional salt if desired.
More arugula recipes to try
Are a fan of this nutritious green? Here are a few more recipes that use it:
I love your recipes! This salad is SO easy and delicious. I have taken it to so many potlucks and it gets gobbled up in no time. I make it often for myself.
Looking for a web site that has recipes for a couple (that is – 2 people). Would appreciate it if you could let me know if you have run across any. Thanks
We love Christina’s site here: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/category/dinners-for-two/
So delicious & easy!
Wow, I’ve never had arugula before so I made lasagna for company and was looking around for a light salad and I found this one, beautiful, so refreshing, was great and different
So glad you enjoyed!
Easy and delicious recipe! Thanks, once again – A Couple Cooks!
:)
As usual, this recipe is delicious and so easy. I added some goat cheese.
For the easy arugula salad, I’m confused about measurements for the arugula. My bag shows 7 oz bag is 5 cups. Your recipe shows 5 oz equals 8 cups. Help.
Go for 5 ounces or about 2/3 of your bag. It doesn’t need to be perfect! (We measured cups loosely packed).
Hi, so I tried this recipe it was good but can you give me the nutritional info I’m using this recipe for an assessment.
It’s listed at the bottom of the recipe card.
Had this with pizza and it was so light and refreshing! Would definitely not omit the lemon zest. Also added a few broken walnut pieces for added crunch.
Love this salad; goes great with pasta dinners.