This flavourful arugula salad calls for only a few ingredients and comes together in under five minutes. Whether you need to save time on a busy weeknight or you’re looking to impress your dinner guests, this delicious summer salad is sure to deliver!
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I have a tendency to overcomplicate my cooking.
I try not to, but I can’t seem to help myself. I always get really excited about flavour combinations and before I know it, it’s taking me 45 minutes and 20 different ingredients to make a salad.
It’s something I’m working on—and this is one of the recipes I have to show for it! It uses only a few simple ingredients and can be fully ready in under five minutes, which is a relief when you’re trying to get supper ready on time while simultaneously juggling a million other priorities.
It’s also packed with flavour and our kids always ask for seconds!
Required Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this quick and flavourful summer salad:
- Arugula
- Cherry tomatoes
- Lemon juice (we go through so much that it makes more sense for us to buy large bottles from Costco, but feel free to use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead)
- Grated Parmesan
- Salt
- Pepper
If you wish, you can also add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, but we find it doesn’t really need it.
How to Make 5-Minute Arugula Salad (Step-by-Step)
1. Halve Cherry Tomatoes
The first step is to cut your cherry tomatoes in half and mix them in with the arugula. We always cut our tomatoes lengthwise so they’re less of a choking hazard for young kids.
2. Add Lemon Juice & Parmesan
Next, drizzle a couple tablespoons of lemon juice onto the arugula (along with the olive oil if you choose to use it) and add the parmesan. The lemon juice should help the parmesan stick to the other ingredients rather than sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
3. Season with Salt & Pepper
Finally, add freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste, stirring between each addition.
Serve immediately—arugula tends to wilt pretty quickly, so this salad doesn’t keep well. That’s never a problem for us, as we never have any leftovers!
Note About Quantities
As far as quantities are concerned, I’ve included my suggestions in the printable recipe below, but you might want to experiment with your own proportions to figure out what you like. Our family likes strong flavours, but if that’s not the case for you, you might want to start out with a smaller quantity of lemon juice and add more as needed.
We serve this a lot at dinner parties, especially in the summer when arugula is widely available. Everyone loves it and the low prep time means we have more time to spend with our guests!
Simple Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 5 oz arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil optional
- ⅓ cup parmesan grated
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine arugula and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil (if using). Mix ingredients using wooden spoons.
- Add parmesan.
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, mixing well between each addition. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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