Light and balanced, this arugula salad is in fact, perfect. This healthy salad takes less than a minute to put together, but you’ll wish each bite could last forever.

Perfect Arugula Salad

I must admit that I’m not always in the mood for arugula, especially when it comes home from the grocery store tasting like literal cardboard. When you grow your own arugula in the garden, it’s soft and fluffy, peppery or totally not (depending on how much water the plants received) and it’s a lovely change of pace from the daily lettuce salad.

Ingredients for arugula salad

Seek out the best arugula for this recipe at the farmer’s market or plant some in your garden. Arugula likes to grow in cooler temps, making this salad the perfect recipe for springtime or as we head into fall.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Arugula: There are different varieties of arugula besides what you’ll typically see in the plastic box at the grocery store. “Salad arugula” is usually way less peppery and spicy and has a softer texture. My favorite variety is “Astro”. I think it’s a really nice soft variety to use for this simple and light salad. If you’re adding heavier ingredients to your salad like cucumbers, nuts or chunky cheese, choose the traditional serrated variety of arugula that can hold up those weighty ingredients.
Lemon: Keep your lemon room-temp on the counter for the most juice per squeeze and the best flavor.
Olive Oil: Since there are so few ingredients in this salad, you’ll want to use the best olive oil you can find for this recipe. I love to use Whole Foods Market Mediterranean Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Pecorino Romano: I love the flavor of a good sheep’s milk cheese. The Pecorino Romano from Fulvi is what I used for this recipe. Make sure to use a microplane to grate it fresh for the salad. The cheese will be light and soft with each bite, so it’s worth cleaning one more little kitchen tool.

Tips for the best arugula salad

This salad is so simple and perfect on it’s own, but it would be amazing with a piece of fish on the side, or piled right on top of a wood-fired pizza. Uh oh, I’m starving now!

Use the freshest ingredients possible: Since this recipe has very few ingredients, you’ll want to make sure everything is high-quality. Wash and dry the arugula right before using for the best flavor and consistency. You’ll find the best arugula at the farmer’s market in the spring and fall.
Handle with care: Super fresh arugula will be delicate and easily bruised if you toss the salad with a fork or metal tongs. Opt for wood salad servers and be gentle!
Serve right away: Once you dress the salad, it’s time to eat it. Delicate greens won’t hold up to dressing for too long, so if you’re serving this recipe for a crowd, dress it at the table at the time of serving.