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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.
I am not a fan of fennel, so left that out. I also toasted the walnuts and added a few extras because I love them. Overall, a great salad!
Yummy!
Use 50/50 mix. Lemon tarragon dressing is good but would have been happy with just lemon .
Once again a wonderful salad with a new veggie for me, fennel. Was happy to find a very small fennel bulb at my grocery store. I was pleasantly surprised with the delicate flavor it had. I loved the dressing!
Overall a great salad. I will most likely do it again.
Yay for trying something new! Great job!
This is my new favorite salad, without a doubt. In fact, I’ve made it multiple times since we received the challenge recipe book because I was so excited about it. I love arugula. I love fennel. I love farro. I love walnuts. I love lemon. It’s like Jen wrote this recipe just for me! ♥️
That’s awesome! Sounds like a total win for you!
I was pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavors in this salad. I thought the fennel plus tarragon would impart too strong a flavor profile. I was happy to be wrong! This salad was fresh, bright, and hearty. Loved the addition of the barley.
I have never in my life had fennel, but this salad was actually really refreshing for me. I love barley in a dish, I think it works really well in salad, but I did love the note that you can swap with quinoa if desired. I was worried that the tarragon and fennel would be overwhelming, but they both worked really well with the other parts of the salad. I would do this one again!
So glad you enjoyed the many layers of flavor!
Very unexpected flavors!! Ive never had arugala or fresh fennel, thanks for the nudge. Only change this time is I had a quinoa/brown rice mix ( I didnt use spice mix, it has sugar and other unpleasant ingredients).
Each day is a different flavor and good. Thanks for the recipes.
Glad you’re enjoying the different flavors!
I was not sure about a salad base of arugula and honestly had never used fennel in a salad. What a surprise, there was a wonderful burst of flavor in every bite. And each flavor was unique but they fell together making this my favorite salad so far.
Dressing is very bright and zingy! Love it!
This salad is sensational. I was not sure about this one when it came up for day 4 salad challenge. I am not a big fan of arugula or fennel. This recipe changed my mind. The mix of ingredients and fresh dressing was delicious. Everything was a nice balance with the arugula.
Aww! I’m glad we could give you a change of heart on a couple of these yummy ingredients!
I really loved this one for a springtime salad as all the ingredients meshed nicely together. I wasn’t sure I’d like the fennel but lightly shaved, it wasn’t overpowering. I would add gorgonzola cheese for a finishing contrast next time.
I didn’t think I liked arugula but I was wrong. The lemon flavour here was perfect. I often forget about barley too. This was a pleasent surprise. Yummy!
Oh my goodness! When I think I have a favorite salad, I make the new one for the challenge, and that takes the previous salad’s place. This Lemon-Arugula salad is fresh, tangy and has a lovely tarragon dressing. The sugar snap peas add a spring-like crunchy flavor too. I plan to make this for Easter dinner this year.
Pleasantly surprised! I have eaten arugula in the past and was expecting a strong bitterness but this combination mellowed the arugula. Due to allergies I substituted the barley with quinoa. Definitely would make again.
Love the dressing for this. It was a little bitter for my taste at first so I added a splash more of lemon olive oil and a splash of Meyer Lemon Flavored White Balsamic Vinegar. I couldn’t find snap peas so I used fresh garden peas. Mmmmm!