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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.
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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
- Oil-Based Potato Salad
- Cold Noodle Salad
- Strawberry Mixed Greens Salad
- Pear Pomegranate 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 cups 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
- dash ground black pepper
- 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.
Love love love this salad …. haven’t used a lot of arugula be for in a salad like this… but really enjoyed it ! Will try this next time on a hot bed of rice and make it my meal
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
The barley made this a filling salad. I wasn’t able to find find fresh tarragon so I used dried. I am sure that the fresh would have been better, but we enjoyed this salad. The leftovers were even better the next day.
I was surprised by the various ingredients and how well they blended together!
Very good and look forward to trying again!
I love when the flavors all come together just perfectly!
Great recipe for the farmer’s market arugula!
Husband after a big bite right out of the mixing bowl: do you like this?
Me: yes, it’s quite yummy!
Husband: I love it, I’m surprised
Me: lol
Aww! Awesome!
I’m allergic to rocket so switched for beetroot/bistro salad mix. Really filling. I really enjoyed it
I didn’t mind it but I probably won’t make this again. SO decided he didn’t like arugula but that fennel was “interesting.” Dressing needs more Dijon for more flavor.
Feel free to adjust the flavors to you liking.
Wasn’t sure about the fennel, but I loved it!! I’ll certainly make this one again!! The dressing is delish.
Wasn’t sure about the fennel, but I loved it!! I’ll certainly make this one again!!
I love these flavors and ingredients. However, it’s too calorie-dense (mostly due to the healthy fats) for a side dish. I therefore used less than half of the olive oil called for in the recipe and added white beans as a source of protein to round out the meal.
I often replace half the oil with water in salad dressings. The dressing still has cling but less fat.
I absolutely love arugula! This salad is great.
I WILL make this salad again!!!
This is going to sound goofy but I made this salad for breakfast! I just was craving it before it even passed my lips. I added some hemp hearts and chia for extra fiber and protein. I also grated lemon rind. I could eat arugula every day! Nice balance with the mild fresh fennel slices I used as well.
Salad for breakfast sounds perfect!
I was shocked to find how well the fennel complimented the arugula. The dressing was amazing. I did not have high hopes for this salad but I was very pleasantly surprised. I will make it again. Kudos to the creator
Aww! 🙂
As I was prepping this yesterday, I added spinach (my favorite) to counter the bitterness of the arugula, plus I am adding half of a small banana to the salad to add a bit of sweet. Also I am NOT a mustard eater, but that lemon tarragon dressing is the bomb. I tasted a spoonful with a bit of salad and YUM! Can’t wait for lunch time today!
I def love spinach! Love that you are making this salad your on.
The dressing was not as zippy as I had hoped-for. I live the Salad ingredients except I used bok choy instead of fennel
This makes me want to wrap it in little steamed leaf of purple cabbage and treat it like a tasty veggie wrap! YUM!
Seriously GREAT idea. I LOVE this suggestion.
This salad is definitely outside my comfort zone. Where do I find barley at the grocery store? Next to the rice?