Name: Lemon Arugula Salad With Parmesan
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 5 oz fresh arugula; 1 lemon, juiced; 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved); 1/4 cup walnuts (roughly chopped and toasted); 1/3 cup Parmesan (shaved)

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A good arugula salad doesn’t need much. A swirl of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and some shaved parmesan do the trick. Throw in some juicy cherry tomatoes for color and toasted walnuts for a warm edge. Simple, bright, and it goes with just about anything.

This arugula salad is one of my favorite sides. I turn to it constantly, whether I’m serving it alongside pappardelle pasta or a juicy turkey burger. It’s fresh, bright, and about as simple as a salad gets, and there’s something about that lemony edge that lets it slide right up next to almost any flavor profile you’re working with. Which makes it the salad I reach for when I’ve completely forgotten to plan a vegetable side and need something reliable, fast.

A Few Good Reasons to Make This

It’s simple: a handful of ingredients, no fuss, no complicated technique. This is a salad you can throw together while everything else cooks.
It goes with almost anything: the lemony brightness plays well next to pasta, roasted meats, grain bowls, you name it. A genuinely reliable “what do I serve with this” answer.
It’s not your average arugula salad: cherry tomatoes add a pop of sweetness, and toasted walnuts bring crunch and a little richness, so it stands out from the usual arugula-and-parm combo.

Tips From My Kitchen

I make mistakes so that you don’t have to! Here are some things I’ve learned while testing this recipe…

Massage the greens: This technique sounds absurd but does a lot. Gently rubbing the olive oil and lemon juice into the arugula tenderizes it and softens the sharp, peppery bite. So add the oil and lemon to just the greens, then add everything else as directed.
Shave the parmesan: grating it blends it into the salad in a more uniform way, but shaving it provides these big, elegant flakes that give you these sharp, salty, nutty bursts of flavor. I find it so satisfying!
Don’t skip toasting the walnuts: Toasting deepens the walnuts’ flavor and gives them a crisp texture that holds up against the dressing, while also softening any harsh or stale bitterness raw nuts can have. You’d be better off omitting the walnuts than throwing them in untoasted.

Ingredients at a Glance

Ingredients for arugula salad on a white background.

A quick look at some of the essentials before we dive into the recipe:

Arugula: If you can, buy arugula that comes in a clamshell-style plastic container. Bagged arugula is often flimsy, smooshed, and broken.
Tomatoes: Any sweet, small tomatoes work. If you can find rainbow cherry/grape tomatoes, they create a beautiful pop of color!
Walnuts: For warmth and crunch!
Parmesan: You can use Pecorino-Romano as well. Nice, big flakes give you bites of nutty, salty goodness.
Lemon: Always use freshly squeezed—never the bottled stuff.
Extra virgin olive oil: A good quality EVOO does quiet work here. If you have a fun olive oil infused with flavors that would work well here, like basil or blood orange, this would be a great time to give it a whirl.

How to Make Arugula Salad

Big wooden serving bowl of arugula salad.

Step 1: Toast the Walnuts

Heat a dry pan (no oil) over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, add the chopped walnuts and let them warm up, shaking the pan periodically. Keep a close eye on them—at first it will feel slow, but once they warm up, they start to toast fast, and you don’t want to burn them. This should take 5 minutes or less, total. Once toasted, set the walnuts aside.

Step 2: Massage the Arugula

Wash the arugula under cool water, gently pat dry, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (a few generous pours around the salad, about 2 tablespoons’ worth if you feel you need to measure), then add the lemon juice, a generous sprinkle of salt, and a few cranks of black pepper. With your hands, toss the arugula, lightly massaging the leaves as you go.

Step 3: Add Other Ingredients & Serve

Add about half of the shaved Parmesan, halved tomatoes, and toasted walnuts. Toss throughout the salad, then top with the remaining Parm, tomatoes, and walnuts so they sit nicely on top when you serve it.

Make It Your Own!

Add a little sweetness: a drizzle of balsamic glaze is a great addition.
Pine nuts: another great way to add warmth and crunch is with toasted pine nuts.
More veggies: thinly sliced cucumbers or radishes, shaved fennel, or julienned carrots work really well.
Different cheese: crumbled feta or chunks of goat cheese work well here, too. I recommend a boldly flavored cheese to play off of the acidity from the lemon.
Crunch: I’ve thrown in some of my air fryer croutons, and it’s delicious.

Serve It With…

This is where you’ll see just how versatile this lemon arugula salad is. It pairs well with so many things—from Italian to lazy weeknights.

Pastas: Whether it’s a light spaghetti aglio e olio, clam pasta, or a bolder option like pasta with puttanesca sauce and ground turkey lasagna.
Grilled meats: Perfect alongside grilled mahi-mahi, a turkey burger, chicken burger, or grilled salmon.
Sandwiches & wraps: A nice light side for lunch when you’re having an egg salad sandwich, a tuna sandwich, or one of these glorious healthy tuna wraps.
Soups: Italian Wedding Chicken Meatball Soup, chicken Florentine soup, ginger chicken soup with turmeric…when a soup eats like a meal, this salad is the perfect sidekick.
Brunch: Because it’s so light and bright, this salad is fantastic for brunch next to a no-crust salmon quiche, egg white smoked salmon wrap, breakfast tacos, and smoked salmon avocado toast.

Storage Tips

This arugula salad is best enjoyed immediately, but if you have leftovers, seal them in an airtight container for about a day. After that, it will become too soggy to enjoy.

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Lemon Arugula Salad With Parmesan

By: Dana Sandonato

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 15

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Toast the Walnuts: Heat a dry pan (no oil) over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, add the chopped walnuts and warm them, shaking the pan periodically. Watch them closely—at first it will feel like things are going slowly, but once they start to toast, they can burn up quickly. Toasting them should take 5 minutes or less, total. When they're done, set them aside.
Massage the Arugula: Wash the arugula under cool water, pat dry, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (a couple of generous pours, about 2 tablespoons if you're measuring), then add the lemon juice, a good pinch of salt, and a few cranks of black pepper. Toss with your hands, gently massaging the leaves as you go.
Add Other Ingredients & Serve: Add half of the shaved Parmesan, halved tomatoes, and toasted walnuts. Toss throughout the salad, then top with the remaining Parmesan, tomatoes, and walnuts so they sit nicely on top upon serving.

Notes

If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for a day, but after that, the salad will be too wilted to enjoy. This salad is best immediately after tossing.