Lemon Vinaigrette Arugula Salad (Printable)

Zesty arugula tossed in lemon dressing with shaved Parmesan and crunchy nuts for bright flavor.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Salad

01 - 5 ounces fresh arugula
02 - 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
03 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

04 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1.5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
07 - 0.5 teaspoon honey
08 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
09 - 0.25 teaspoon sea salt
10 - 0.125 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
02 - Place the arugula in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette and toss gently to coat the leaves evenly.
03 - Add the shaved Parmesan and toasted pine nuts if using. Toss lightly once more to combine.
04 - Transfer to serving plates immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan shavings if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in 10 minutes, which means you can impress people without stress or pretense.
  • The vinaigrette tastes bright enough that you'll find yourself making extra to keep in the fridge all week.
  • It requires almost no cooking skill, just a good whisking arm and fresh ingredients you can actually taste.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than a few minutes before serving, or the arugula will wilt into a tired heap instead of standing proud and peppery.
  • Taste your vinaigrette before you pour it on—if you can't taste the lemon clearly, add more juice and adjust the salt to balance it.
03 -
  • Make extra vinaigrette and keep it in a jar in the refrigerator—it'll keep for a week and transform any plain green into something worth remembering.
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for just a few minutes, watching them closely so they brown but don't burn; the difference between raw and toasted is the difference between nothing and everything.
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