Fresh arugula is topped with shaved parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Topped with the best homemade dressing, this parmesan arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette is the perfect summer side salad, or main dish with a crusty baguette on the side.
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White oval platter (similar) | Silver serving spoons (similar) | Dressing Cruet
Parmesan Arugula Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
I feel like salads are just meant for summer. And whether you're eating salad a side dish or a main dish (which begs for a crusty baguette), a summer salad is refreshing and light; and this one is no exception. The tangy lemon dressing is simple to make and I promise you will want to make a big batch and keep it on hand all season long.
Lemon vinaigrette on repeat.
Also, it's worth mentioning the fact that those little toasted pine nuts are my best friends right now. They give the perfect amount of depth to this super bright salad. BFF's for life.
3 WAYS TO EAT THIS SALAD:
- Side salad: This makes enough for 4 people to have a side salad, as is.
- Main dish: add a crusty baguette on the side and two people can eat this as a meal.
- Add meat: Grilled chicken, perfect. Grilled flank or strip steak, you got it.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Fresh Summer Salad:
- Fresh arugula: perfectly peppery and bright, this is my favorite micro green.
- Pine nuts: you are going to toast these low and slow to bring out the best subtle nutty flavor.
- Fresh parmesan: a block of parmesan, not a shaker.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and zest.
- Olive Oil: The base of the vinaigrette.
- Vinegar: Zingy zing zap. I used apple cider vinegar but I would also use rice vinegar if I had it. You have options.
- Garlic: Makes everything better.
- Salt + Sweetener: Necessary forever and always. For sweetener I used Swerve (sugar substitute). My favorite no-calorie sweetener.
- Green Onions: as a garnish, you can leave them out if you don't love them.
White Oval Platter (similar) | Silver Serving Spoons (similar) | Dressing Cruet
How To Make This Simple Salad
- Unless you are going to eat this salad right away, don't dress it to begin with. Start with a bed of arugula.
- Layer on the parmesan cheese and pine nuts.
- Garnish with green onions.
- Make the dressing by blending the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, salt, sweetener, and vinegar in a Magic Bullet (my favorite method), blender, or small food processor. You can do it by hand, but it will take some time to emulsify the oil.
- Just before serving, toss the salad with dressing.
THIS GOES GREAT WITH:
- Marinated Cherry Tomatoes With Burrata
- Classic Summer Tomato Bruschetta
- Herb Smothered Garlic Butter Salmon
- 30 Minute Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken
Hey- you’ve made it this far, and now we’re BFF’s. If you make this recipe, I would love for you to give it a star rating below (scroll to the comments). Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!
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Parmesan Arugula Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Fresh arugula is topped with shaved parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Topped with the best homemade dressing, this parmesan arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette is the perfect summer side salad, or main dish with a crusty baguette on the side.
Ingredients
5 oz Arugula (about one container of pre-washed arugula)
¼ cup pine nuts
½ cup or more parmesan cheese, freshly shaved*
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup olive oil
2 lemons, zest and juice (1 tsp zest, 2 Tbsp juice)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp sweetener of choice
½ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a small dry pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, shaking every minute for 5-7 minutes or until they begin to brown.
- Pile the arugula on a platter and top with cheese, pine nuts, and green onions.
- In a magic bullet, blender, or small food processor: blend oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, vinegar, sweetener, and salt.
- Dress the salad just before serving.
Notes
* I use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Assemble
- Cuisine: Italian
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