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Simple Arugula Salad

posted by Liz Berg on June 14, 2022 (updated 10/6/22)

This Simple Arugula Salad is full of clean, tasty ingredients and dressed perfectly with an emulsified balsamic vinaigrette. An ideal side dish for any meal!

A peppery Rocket Salad is healthy, delicious, and super easy to toss together!

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Expert Tips

3 Serving Suggestions:

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like:

6 Simple Arugula Salad

Why You Must Make

It’s a delicious combination of ingredients plus a creamy vinaigrette!
The tasty salad dressing can be used on almost any green salad.
As with most salad recipes, you can tweak the ingredients depending on your palate. My husband would prefer no cucumbers!

My youngest sister, Maddy, has a knack for cooking without a recipe. As more of a baker, I always rely on written instructions and rarely mess with the proportions of leavening to flour and fat. My tweaks tend to be changes in flavorings or kind of chocolate. While we were back in Iowa visiting our family home, she whipped up some fabulous broiled salmon and this delightful salad. I have a feeling you’ll love this arugula recipe as much as I did.

Salad bowl with arugula salad and a red handle fork in front of serving bowl.

Expert Tips

Look for triple-washed arugula in the grocery store. If you have to wash it yourself, make sure any grit or sand is rinsed off and let the greens dry before using.
You can prep most of the ingredients ahead of time, but do not toss until right before serving. It’s best to add the avocado along with the dressing so the cubes do not oxidize, or turn brown.
Once the dressing is tossed with the arugula, the greens will wilt.
Use a whisk to make the arugula salad dressing. When adding the oil, drizzle it in slowly while whisking so that the mixture emulsifies, becoming homogeneous.
Start with 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt in the dressing. Taste and add another 1/4 teaspoon if you think it needs more.
To pulverize the fresh garlic, add it to your cutting board along with the kosher salt. Start mashing it with the side of a chef’s knife, using the salt to help break it down.
The addition of mayonnaise may seem odd, but it helps temper the bitter arugula and help with emulsifying the dressing.

Serving Suggestions:

Since this salad does not have any dominant flavors or spices, it will be a perfect addition to almost any meal. Try it with some of my favorite entrees:

Grilled Flank Steak
Cedar Plank Salmon
Marinated Lamb Chops
Penne alla Vodka
Plus, check out all my Main Course Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Arugula?

Arugula, pronounced uh-ROO-guh-lah, is a slightly bitter salad green with a peppery mustard flavor. It’s also known as Italian cress, rocket, roquette, rugula, and rucola. Very popular in Italy, it’s gained popularity with Americans, too.

Why is Arugula Called Rocket?

From CooksInfo.com: “In North America, Rocket is usually called Arugula. Many people think that is the Italian name, but it isn’t. The Italian word is for arugula “rucola” or sometimes “rochetta.”
“Arugula” is an English corruption of the word in some Italian dialect, perhaps from Lombardy where they call it “arigola.” “Eruca” is the Latin word for a variety of cabbage and the word rocket in English, German, and Italian. Yes, it’s confusing!!!

Is Arugula Healthy?

Yes, just like spinach arugula is a healthy green with Vitamin A, K, C, and Folate, Iron, and other minerals, low in calories and fats, and high in antioxidants.