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Hearty salads bring a whole lot of nutrition and fill me up so I’m not searching for a snack an hour after lunch. Just like with green smoothies, a good salad needs a balance of carbs, protein and healthy fat. My Lemon Arugula salad is definitely loaded with hearty plants and could arguably be the best arugula salad you’ll make.
I’d rather drink my greens over chewing them, so if I make a salad it’s got to be great. Trust me when I say this salad is #worthit whether you pack it in your lunch or plate it alongside your dinner.
Table of Contents
Best Arugula Salad Recipe
This salad was created with both presentation and flavor in mind. I wanted a beautiful dish as well as something to fill me up.
Make sure the barley is cooked before adding it to this arugula salad. If you know you won’t have time to cook it day-of, cook it beforehand!
My tarragon dressing can also be made ahead of time, just give the jar a good shake before pouring it over the finished salad.
If you want to add even more flavor to this dish then toast the walnuts before adding them.
What is Arugula?
Arugula is in the same leafy green family as kale, and is not a mild veggie. It is however loaded with health benefits since it’s high in calcium, potassium, folate and vitamins C, A and K.
I love using arugula in salads, on top of pizza and even in pesto. If it’s a bit too strong for you to use as the only base in this salad then don’t toss it altogether! Pair it with mixed greens or spinach and enjoy its peppery addition to your lunch.
Tips for Tarragon Dressing
If you want a super simple dressing then this one is for you! Simply toss all the ingredients into a jar with a good lid then shake to mix. You can refrigerate until ready to use.
I recommend using fresh tarragon since dried tarragon has a completely different taste and flavor. I know it’s easy to swap fresh for dried when using something like basil, however that’s just not the case with this unique herb.
If you want to keep this dressing vegan, swap in maple syrup for the honey.
Arugula Salad FAQs
I chose crispy fennel and walnuts along with a lemon tarragon dressing for my arugula salad. The dressing especially helps tone down the bite from the arugula.
Pair it with flavors that help balance it out. I pair arugula with a zesty tarragon dressing and use fennel to help tone down the bitterness and boost the flavor.
Arugula is actually in the cruciferous family along with kale, broccoli and bok choy. It’s got a strong flavor so you could try half arugula, half spinach (or lettuce) until you get used to the flavor and kick.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Ready for more incredible salads? Then try out another one of my creations below:
- Avocado Caprese Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Cold Noodle Salad
- Strawberry Mixed Greens Salad
- Winter Pear Salad
- Bright Berry Salad
- Candied Pecan Salad
- Sweet Potato Taco Salad
- Hearty Mason Jar Salad
- Greek Salad
- Strawberry Arugula Salad
- Grated Carrot Salad
- Sweet & Crunchy Chickpea Salad
Would you please rate + review this recipe once you’ve made it? I love getting your feedback!
Lemon Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup barley uncooked
- ½ fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 4 cup arugula
- ½ cup sugar snap peas
- ¼ cup raw walnuts chopped
- 2 tbsp green onion thinly sliced
Lemon Tarragon Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juiced
- 1 tsp raw honey
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp tarragon fresh
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- dash sea salt, unrefined
- dash black pepper, ground
- 1 tbsp chives chopped
Instructions
- Cook barley according to package. Allow to cool.
- Prepare fennel by cutting off the green stalks. Halve the white bulb and carefully remove the core. Place the cut side down on a cutting board and using a very sharp knife, thinly cut or shave the fennel.
- Place the fennel in a bowl with arugula, barley, pea pods, walnuts and green onions.
- For Dressing: place all ingredients in a small jar and shake well. Refrigerate until ready.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad, gently toss and serve immediately.
Notes
- Swap barley with cooked quinoa.
- To make the dressing vegan, swap in maple syrup for honey.
- The dressing will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.
- Barley can be cooked ahead of time then refrigerated until ready to be used in salad.
Very good! The greens got a little more wilty than I would have liked, so next time I’ll dress it right before eating. I’d also add something sweet, like some green apple. Still, the fennel and peas and walnuts added a lot of taste and texture, and I would definitely make it again!
Thank you for the review. Green apple would be yummy!
This salad is nice and refreshing. I like fennel and arugula is mostly what I use when I eat salads. Unfortunately I don’t like tarragon so I omitted in the dressing and it was perfect for me. I used farro instead of barley or quinoa because that’s what I had. I’m thinking of adding slices of orange next time.
So glad that you enjoyed this salad. Oranges sound amazing! Let me know if you try it.
I had this salad as part of the salad challenge which is a good thing because the picture did not look appetizing to me so I would never had made it. Boy, can pictures lie ..lol. I used quinoa cooked in vegetable broth instead of the barley, and that was the only change I maded. It was SURPRISINGLY good!! The flavors blended perfectly. I will fixing this again!
Love that you tried this anyway. So glad that it was so yummy and that you will make it again!
The Lemon Arugula Salad is a real favorite! It’s light but has so much flavor and nutrition. It’s different! It’s unique! I love the crunch of the fennel and the snow peas. The best part is that I was able to use arugula from my own garden and that makes it even better!
I think veggies taste so much better when you grow the produce yourself! So glad you loved this salad.
Great salad that I recommend. Different from traditional garden salads that I typically eat on a daily basis. Loved the fennel and lemon tarragon dressing combo. This salad will definitely help me hit my plant goal of 35-40 different types of plants per week. When I make it again I am going to add some dried cranberries and red onion to get even more variety.
That’s a great goal to aim for each week! You should also add in my Vegetable Barley Soup then— you’ll get there real quick! The dried cranberries would be a winning addition. I’m gonna try it that way too!
I love this salad so much!!! Definitely will make this regularly as I am a huge fan of arugula! The dressing is light and refreshing. I am gluten and nut free, so I used quinoa and raw pumpkin seeds instead of barley and walnuts, and also added in diced red onion.
Nice pivot, Rebecca. Way to make it work for you.
I adore arugula but have never used tarragon so using this herb was a new experience for me. After I figured out how to prep the tarragon, I was pleasantly surprised by its flavor. The dressing was bright and complemented the salad perfectly! Added dried cranberries to add a bit of color on the second portion which was delicious.
So happy you liked it. And I love the big of tang that dried cranberries add to a salad.
I enjoyed it, but it may not be for everyone in my family.Earthy
Oh this was a delightful salad! Especially since I love Quinoa (gluten-free alternative) and Arugula. I would never have thought to add fennel to the salad (I always have it cooked). I love the flavor it adds to the mix! Yum. Will make this salad more often.
after making three different trips to each of the three stores i shop at, i made this salad without the fresh tarragon and sugar snap peas. ☹️ otherwise, i made it as written, substituting fennel fronds for the tarragon. i thought about utilizing frozen peas, but decided against it. this was a nice, hearty, savory salad. i’m not a fan of fennel, but once again i didn’t mind it in this salad.
Flavorful, acquired taste. I’m gonna cook the snap peas next time.
Really liked this salad more than I thought I would. Worked out great for a filling lunch.
Loved the brightness of the lemon and the veggies! Didn’t have tarragon, so I subbed basil and that was delicious too! Added chickpeas as well!