The fresh, Mediterranean-inspired arugula salad features a simple lemon dressing, toasted pine nuts, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and salty Parmesan for a simple side salad recipe for any meal.
Choosing a main course dinner idea is a pretty simple task. But when it comes to rounding out the meal with some extra plant nutrition, it can add another layer of what-to-make-wondering to your meal planning. That’s where quick and easy salads that go with pretty much everything come in. This salad is a version of my everyday arugula salad with lemon and Parmesan with a few ingredient additions. Here, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts are the perfect complement to arugula’s bite and salty chunks of Parmesan. This easy side salad is terrific with any Mediterranean main dish, especially as a base for my Greek marinated chicken, for one of my favorite lunches or dinners.
What’s In This Arugula Salad
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Arugula
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Pine nuts
- Parmesan cheese
How to Make This Arugula Salad
This arugula salad couldn’t be easier to make. Here’s how:
First, make the dressing. This arugula salad’s simple vinaigrette dressing isn’t even so much of a dressing as it is a mixture. I took a page from the technique often used in Caesar salads, and mixed this 3-ingredient dressing in the same bowl the salad is tossed in.
Assemble the salad. After the dressing is mixed, the arugula leaves are tossed into the bowl, too. This method gives a lighter touch to the dressed leaves and helps to avoid a heavy salad where the leaves all clump together. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan.
Season and serve. Seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, you could totally stop here and serve.
Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups arugula
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese broken or cut into chunks
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and salt and pepper.
- Add the arugula to the bowl and toss. Top with the chunks of Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. Add more pepper taste.
