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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.
The more we cook, the more Alex and I find that the simplest recipes are the best. And that’s what we hear from you readers, too! There’s a place for the art of sourdough bread and margherita pizza with homemade dough.
But when it comes to side dishes: we want easy! Introducing: the simplest arugula salad. It’s quite possibly the easiest salad you’ll make. You don’t even have to make a salad dressing! In 5 to 10 minutes, you’ve got an elegant salad that goes with literally everything. We love this salad so much, we included a version of it in our latest cookbook!
Key ingredients in simple arugula salad
The ingredients in this arugula salad are simple too (obviously!). You’ll 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 (no fake juice!); add the zest if you have time.
- Parmesan cheese shavings: For quick prep, buy Parmesan that’s cut into shavings
Variation: Peppery arugula pairs well with sweet and earthy beets. Try it with a citrus salad dressing in our arugula beet salad!
Why baby arugula is a must
For this arugula salad to work, you need to follow this important note: use baby arugula. Here’s the difference:
- Baby arugula is tender, with a mild flavor and a fluffy texture. You see the lovely feathery greens in the photo? That’s baby arugula.
- Standard arugula is usually sold in bunches. It has a much stronger peppery flavor, and sometimes the stems are tougher. It’s not as good for a salad like this one.
You can find baby arugula in lots of mainstream groceries here in the US! It’s also available at farmers markets. As a rule of thumb: if it is sold as a bunch, stay away. Use the baby greens that are sold in packages or bags. Got leftovers? Make a batch of arugula pesto.
Tips for zesting a lemon
Growing up, real lemons weren’t ever in our house. But now that Alex and I run our 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 (here’s one we like), which makes quick work of it.
Best way to shave Parmesan cheese
To shortcut the time to make this simplest arugula salad, buy Parmesan cheese that’s already cut into large shavings. Alex and I found it packaged this way at the store, and it makes it easy breezy to throw a bunch in a salad.
If you can’t find it packaged that way, just go at a big block of Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler! It’s the easiest way we’ve found to get those lovely shavings.
Ways to serve this 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 would be great with lemon dill salmon or baked salmon.
- Pasta. Try it with vegan lasagna, cavatappi or mushroom pasta.
- Shrimp. Arugula salad pair well with shrimp fra diavola or shrimp paella.
- Soup. Pair with wild rice soup or lentil soup.
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.
Notes
*For quickest prep, buy a container of Parmesan shavings.
More with arugula
You a fan of this nutritious green? Here are a few more recipes that use it:
- Burrata with Arugula and Tomatoes: Combine gooey burrata cheese with arugula and fresh tomatoes: it’s heavenly!
- 10 Arugula Recipes: Here are all our best arugula recipes to use this healthy leafy green in your cooking! Throw it in salads, put it on a arugula pizza, or stuff it in a sandwich.
- 60 Best Salad Recipes: Any of the green salads in this list would be fantastic with a handful of baby arugula thrown in!
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.