Arugula Lemon Salad (Printable)

Fresh arugula combined with zesty lemon dressing and shaved Parmesan for a bright, light dish.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 4 cups fresh arugula, washed and dried
02 - 1.5 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
03 - 1 small shallot, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Lemon Dressing

04 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
07 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
08 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully blended.
02 - In a large salad bowl, place arugula and optional shallot. Drizzle the dressing over and gently toss to evenly coat.
03 - Transfer the salad onto a serving platter or individual plates.
04 - Top the salad with shaved Parmesan and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 10 minutes, no cooking required, which means you can make it even on nights when the kitchen feels overwhelming.
  • The lemon and mustard do all the heavy lifting, turning humble greens into something that tastes like you actually tried.
  • It's the kind of salad that works alone for lunch or quietly steps aside next to grilled fish without demanding attention.
02 -
  • Wash and completely dry your arugula before you dress it—any lingering water will dilute the dressing and rob the greens of their peppery punch.
  • Don't dress this salad more than five minutes before serving, or the greens will begin to wilt and surrender their crunch.
03 -
  • Make the dressing in advance and store it in a jar—it keeps for a few days and actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have time to know each other.
  • If your arugula arrives a bit sad or less peppery than you'd like, an extra few seconds of lemon zest or a touch more mustard will compensate and wake it back up.
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