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Arugula Salad with Lemon, Olive Oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

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Peppery greens, bright lemon, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra-virgin olive oil make this simple arugula salad a classic—serve it as a starter or pile it onto crispy chicken cutlets, a white pizza, or grilled steak.

Utensils in a wooden bowl of arugula salad with lemon, olive oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

You’ll often find variations of this arugula salad on restaurant menus, sometimes with added ingredients like cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, or balsamic vinegar reduction for extra flair. The salad is so simple that it really requires no measurements: a bowl of peppery arugula, a bright squeeze of lemon, a few swirls of extra-virgin olive oil, nutty Parmigiano Reggiano shavings, salt, and pepper. I’ve provided loose quantities if you need them, but once you make this salad a few times, you’ll find it’s easy to make it by feel. Serve the salad as a first course to any Italian meal or as a side dish with grilled steak, Parmesan crusted chicken, or a margherita pizza.

“All this needs is a crispy chicken cutlet. What a fantastically simple salad! I love it.”

Linda

What You’ll Need To Make Arugula Salad

arugula salad ingredients
  • Arugula: Also known as rocket or rucola, arugula is a leafy green with a peppery, sharp bite. Sold in bunches or in pre-washed, ready-to-eat bags or containers. Most arugula sold in grocery stores is baby arugula, which is more delicate and mild than mature arugula. (Arugula can also be used to make pesto, like in my linguine with creamy arugula walnut pesto recipe.)
  • Fresh Lemon Juice and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used to make a simple yet delicious dressing. I recommend using a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, such as Lucini.
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: A hard and aged Italian cheese with a nutty and salty flavor. Be sure to use imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy. Our domestic Parmesan is an imitation and pales in comparison. You can tell an authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano by looking at the rind; it is embossed with the name over and over.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large salad bowl, combine the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

lemon and olive oil in bowl

Place the arugula in the bowl and toss with the dressing.

tossed arugula salad

Run a vegetable peeler along one of the flat sides of the Parmigiano Reggiano to create about 1/2 cup cheese shavings (you can also use the slicing blade of a box grater or a cheese planer).

shaving parmigiano reggiano on cutting board

Toss the cheese shavings with the salad and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customize this arugula salad with additional ingredients?

Absolutely! This arugula salad serves as a versatile base that you can personalize to your taste. Consider adding grilled chicken, grilled shrimp with pesto, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, or even a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction.

I can’t find arugula where I live. What can I substitute?

If you can’t find arugula, you can substitute it with fresh spinach, mixed greens (which often include arugula), or even baby kale. While the peppery flavor of arugula is unique, these alternatives will still provide a delicious base for your salad.

Utensils in a wooden bowl of arugula salad with lemon, olive oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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Arugula Salad with Lemon, Olive Oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Peppery greens, bright lemon, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra-virgin olive oil make this simple arugula salad a classic—serve it as a starter or pile it onto crispy chicken cutlets, a white pizza, or grilled steak.

Servings: 4 as a starter
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces (or 5 generous handfuls) arugula
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Big hunk Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large salad bowl, combine the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the arugula in the bowl and toss with the dressing.
  2. Run a vegetable peeler along one of the flat sides of the Parmigiano Reggiano to create about ½ cup cheese shavings (you can also use the slicing blade of a box grater or a cheese planer). Toss the cheese shavings with the salad and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 173
  • Fat: 15 g
  • Saturated fat: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 2 g
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Sodium: 266 mg
  • Cholesterol: 13 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • We make this salad frequently, and add lightly crushed toasted hazelnuts. Delicious!

    • — Donner on December 10, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn:
    I’m making this salad tomorrow night to go with your spaghetti and meatballs. Will be excellent. Thanks for a great recipe.

    • — Pamela on September 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • My favorite way to eat Arugula!!

    • — Karen Sarnowski on April 27, 2023
    • Reply
  • Funny story, with a triumphant ending…we were at Whole Foods but skipped on the Arugula as we were then going to T.J.’s. As fate would have it, T.J.’s was out of Arugula. I subbed baby spinach. Loved this simple salad like all get out. I will never again have an excuse, for not having yummy salad at my beck and call. Thank you Jenn.

    • — Jeff Winett on April 23, 2023
    • Reply
  • So delicious!

    • — Lise W on January 26, 2023
    • Reply
  • Made this last night to enjoy with your smoky lentil soup and the three of us polished it off. It was delicious. Will try the arugula with manchego and apples next because we have a lot of apples fresh from the Berkshires on hand and a little sweet to go with the salty and peppery flavors sounds so good!

    • — Shannon C on January 7, 2023
    • Reply
  • A weekly staple in our house. Takes just a few minutes to prepare and is a fresh addition to any dinner!

    • — Ashley Sperling on August 13, 2022
    • Reply
  • I’ve made a version of this wonderful salad for years. I usually use Manchego instead of Parmesan cheese and add toasted crushed hazelnuts.

    • — Donna on May 19, 2022
    • Reply
  • This salad and dressing were beautifully simple and tasty….it achieves a nice restaurant quality flavor an finesse with just a few simple ingredients…this was fantastic..the arugula is a must have with this salad even if its not your favorite..

    • WARNING! Please be careful when eating arugula. A small dish is best. If you eat too much, there is a chemical in arugula that results in moderate to extreme stomach pains, gas, and an extended stomach. It usually starts within 30 minutes of eating and lasts about 90 minutes. I literally had the cold sweats for about 90 minutes after indulging in a “big” salad of arugula. Tasty but there is a limit. ✌️🙂

      • — Janine O'Grady on June 8, 2022
      • Reply
  • Made this along with the crusted parmesan chicken. So simple and so tasty. Thanks.

  • So simple and so genius at the same time! I love this recipe! I actually found it in your cookbook, which I absolutely recommend to everyone, in combination with the three-cheese white pizzas. My youngest daughter now specifically asks for the “pizza with the salad on top”. She has become a complete convert and no longer is impressed with a simple cheese pizza. Thanks for this excellent, easy recipe!

  • Loved this salad – delicious and it was a great accompaniment to your French onion soup.

    Added sliced apples to the salad….perfect sweet and savory combination. Thanks again for the great recipes. You never steer us wrong.

    • — Patticakesdarien
    • Reply
  • Excellent salad. I have made this twice and the second time was for company. Everyone has commented on how good this is. The dressing is outstanding and I will use it for other greens as well. Thank you for this recipe.

  • Sometimes the simple things are best.
    I made this after work one night and was pleased by how fast and easy it was to make. Good quality cheese and lots of it is key. We added a shake of garlic powder and onion powder, but the recipe is excellent as written and endlessly variable, as others have mentioned. Thank you, Jenn!

  • All this needs is a crispy chicken cutlet. What a fantastically simple salad! I love it.

  • I had this simple salad at an Italian restaurant in Seattle several years ago but they added crispy baked prosciutto and a hard boiled egg which makes it a complete meal for my family.

  • What a lovely, fresh salad! Super simple and delicious. Thank you to the reviewer who suggested adding pomegranate seeds. I’m going to try that next time. It sounds pretty!

  • I made this salad last night for a party of six. Everyone loved it, including me! I added pomegranate seeds – really pretty and the combination was really good!! Important to use a high quality olive oil.

  • This is my new favorite salad! I love the fresh lemon, arugula, and shaved Parmesan… So simple but so good!

  • We served this super simple but elegant salad with homemade pizza. As suggested by another reviewer, we added some chopped avocado and a few halved cherry tomatoes. Easy to prepare and a nice way to serve arugula.

  • Soooo simple to make, tastes great, and looks great on the table. It’ll make you look like a pro!

  • Simple, easy, perfect. Add some avocado and a few chopped tomatoes for some variety. We eat it at least once a week.

  • This is a go-to recipe for me. Simple, easy, and gets lots of compliments. I usually add yellow cherry tomatoes sliced in half to it.

  • Another recipe with simple ingredients. I must try this one too. I think I will try it with Alia’s idea with balsamic vinegar also, sounds wonderful.

  • We love this recipe… I usually replace the lemon juice with balsamic vinegar. It gives another dimension to the mix of arugula and parmesan.

  • This salad is perfect when you have a crowd to feed

  • Another excellent one and so simple. Keep posting your ideas everywhere, found you on Pinterest originally. Love this salad!

  • A family favorite. I make this regularly.

  • Thank you great article : Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    olive-oil-extra-virgin.blogspot.com

    • It is a great SIMPLE recipe. So refreshing, quick and delicious!!!

  • Dear Chef Jen,

    I adore your web-site and those wonderful easy to make totally inspired recipes! I TOO HAVE PICKY DAUGHTER and she loves your recipes. Thank you!!!

    D.G.

    • — Deborah Greene
    • Reply
    • The best dishes are the simple ones like this. Thanks for sharing with is.

      • — Barbara Juneau on January 21, 2023
      • Reply

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