Description
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.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 5oz baby arugula
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Italian-seasoned croutons (recipe below)
- Lemon vinaigrette dressing (recipe below)
Italian-seasoned croutons
- 3 cups cubed crusty bread (I use sourdough bread)
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Fine sea salt and black pepper, for sprinkling
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1-2 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup), to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Croutons: I like to leave the crust on the bread cubes because it adds a rustic look. You can cut the crusts off if you prefer.
- Leftovers? This salad tastes best when served fresh. 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.
- Make-ahead 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.
- Nutrition information is a rough estimate based on 4 servings.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 321
- Sugar: 3.9g
- Sodium: 524mg
- Fat: 24.9g
- Saturated Fat: 4.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 18.6g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 11mg