Arugula Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette

This Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette dressing is the perfect simple salad recipe to serve with any weeknight dinner. It’s fresh, flavorful, and easy to make with baby arugula, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, crunchy croutons, and a bright dressing.

This recipe is inspired by the Lemon Arugula Salad at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn. It’s a tasty salad to serve with your favorite pizza or Italian night menu.

Everyone needs to have a quick savory salad recipe in their repertoire that involves minimal ingredients… and THIS salad is it!

Except for the fresh arugula, this recipe is pantry friendly and comes together in a jiffy.

To save even more time, you can make the salad dressing and croutons up to 1 day in advance. You could even use store-bought croutons if you’re in a pinch.

Arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette ingredients

Baby arugula: Arugula (also known as rocket) has a strong, peppery taste. It goes well with the salty parmesan and zesty vinaigrette dressing.

TIP: Arugula is a delicate green that can go bad quickly. It’s important to buy it only a few days before you plan to use it.

Parmigiano-Reggiano: Parmigiano Reggiano is a type of hard cheese made in specific regions of Italy. It also follows a set of strict production rules and must be aged for at least 12 months. This cheese is known for its rich, complex, and nutty flavor.

You can use parmesan cheese if you can’t find Parmigiano-Reggiano, but Parmigiano Reggiano offers better taste and flavor.

Croutons: My homemade croutons are easy to make using cubed sourdough bread, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling.

You can use melted butter instead of olive oil, any type of crusty bread instead of sourdough, and Italian seasoning if you prefer.

I cook my croutons in the air fryer because it’s easy and I don’t have to heat my whole house up by turning the oven on. I’ll share instructions on how to make the croutons below using the air fryer or oven.

Lemon vinaigrette dressing: My homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing is bright, tangy, and slightly sweet from the honey.

It’s made with extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), fine sea salt and black pepper.

How to make Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Make the homemade croutons. In a large bowl, add the cubed bread and evenly drizzle the olive oil over the bread. You’ll need around 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Sprinkle the dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, a generous pinch of fine sea salt and black pepper over everything. Toss until well combined.

Air fryer instructions. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Place the prepared bread cubes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket every couple of minutes until the bread cubes are golden brown on all sides and crisp. Let cool completely before adding them to the salad.

Oven baked instructions. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the prepared bread cubes in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-20 minutes, tossing halfway through until the bread cubes are golden brown and crisp. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your bread and how crispy you like your croutons.

Let cool completely before adding them to the salad.

Make the lemon vinaigrette dressing. In a jar with a fitted lid, add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), fine sea salt, and a pinch of black pepper.

Seal the jar and give it a good shake until the dressing emulsifies and everything is well combined. Don’t have a jar? Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the baby arugula and drizzle half of the prepared dressing over everything. Toss gently to combine.

Sprinkle the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and croutons on top. Drizzle the salad with more dressing and serve immediately. You may need to add more salt or black pepper, depending on your taste preferences.

Make ahead and storage instructions

You can prep the salad dressing and croutons up to 1 day in advance. Store the salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge and the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature.

Toss the salad with the dressing right before you plan to serve it. Extra virgin olive oil can become solid after sitting in the fridge. This is normal. Let it sit at room temperature to liquefy again.

Leftovers? This salad tastes best when served fresh. Arugula is a delicate green that can quickly wilt and get soggy.

If you anticipate that you’ll have leftovers, only toss the amount of arugula with the dressing that you’re planning to eat in a single sitting.

What is the best dressing for arugula salad?

Lemon vinaigrette is the most popular salad dressing for arugula salad. Other dressings that would go nice with arugula are balsamic or white balsamic vinaigrette.

What flavors go well in arugula salad?

Arugula has a spicy, peppery, and slightly bitter taste. Citrus, salty, sweet, and nutty elements go well with arugula salad to help balance the flavors.

Please let me know how you like this arugula salad recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this salad as much as I do.

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