Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan

Name: Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 4 cups arugula; 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

by Heidi Larsen Updated: Feb 24, 2026

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This arugula salad has been my go-to side salad for years, and though it’s super simple it’s truly the best. The fresh, peppery bite of arugula pairs beautifully with the tangy lemon vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This is now my go-to salad dressing. Can’t believe so few ingredients create so much flavor. Love, love, love it.” -Gail, FoodieCrush reader

This Side Salad Is a 5-Ingredient Wonder

Choosing a main course to make for dinner is pretty easy to do. But when it comes to rounding out the meal with some extra plant nutrition, it can add another layer of what-to-make-wondering to your meal planning.

That’s where quick and easy side salads that go with pretty much everything come in, like this arugula salad with lemon and Parmesan.

It’s a simple salad with big flakes of salty Parmesan that goes with chicken, beef, pork, seafood, pasta, and can even be served on top of pizza. Even better, it’s ready in 5 minutes, and there are so many ways to dress it up or down.

Enjoy!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients needed to make arugula lemon parmesan salad

The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.

Lemon vinaigrette — The lemon dressing is a whisk-together number made from extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Arugula — A leafy green cruciferous vegetable that looks similar to spinach but has a fresh, peppery taste (it’s known as “rocket” in Europe).
Parmesan cheese — Buy a block and shave it yourself using a vegetable peeler to create perfectly flaky, salty strips of cheese (you can also use shredded Parmesan if you don’t have shaved Parmesan on hand).

How to Make the Best Arugula Salad

Arugula Salad with Parm and apple — Variation with apple and red onion

First, make the dressing. This salad’s easy lemon vinaigrette dressing isn’t even so much of a dressing as it is a mixture. I took a page from the technique often used in Caesar salads, and mixed this 3-ingredient dressing in the same bowl the salad is tossed in.
Add the arugula. After the dressing is mixed, the peppery arugula leaves are tossed into the bowl, too. This method gives a lighter touch to the dressed leaves and helps to avoid a heavy salad where the leaves all clump together.
Season and serve. Seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, you could totally stop here and serve.

Heidi’s Tip: If rinsing the arugula before tossing it with the dressing, be sure to use a salad spinner to shake off any excess moisture. You don’t want to wind up with a soggy salad!

Recipe Variations to Try

Arugula salad with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes — Variation with pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes

Swap dressings, add your favorite toppings, or pile on a protein. There are so many ways to jazz up this basic arugula salad.

Some favorite variations I’ve made over the years include:

Arugula and apple salad — Use this same base salad recipe, but add thinly sliced red onion (rinse under cold water to remove its bite!) and matchstick apples for added texture and flavor.
Strawberry arugula salad — Swap the lemon vinaigrette for balsamic and add juicy strawberries, feta, slivered almonds, and watermelon for extra crunch.
Arugula salad with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts — The base recipe remains the same, with sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil added for umami sweetness and toasted pine nuts for crunch.

Or try one of the following swaps to customize your salad to your liking:

Change the dressing — Toss the arugula in your favorite Greek dressing, Italian dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, Caesar dressing, or even a light Dijon vinaigrette
Add nuts and seeds — Chopped walnuts, candied pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, or pepitas would be great.
Add fruit — Try thinly sliced apple or pear, berries, pomegranate arils, or chopped watermelon
Swap cheeses — Replace the Parm with crumbled feta, goat cheese, Manchego, burrata, or Pecorino Romano
Add veggies — Sliced cucumber, roasted tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled corn, diced avocado, roasted broccoli or butternut squash would all work
Add protein — Try adding crispy garlic shrimp, Greek chicken, grilled flank steak, or grilled salmon.

Strawberry and Watermelon Arugula Salad with Balsamic Dressing #foodiecrush.com #salad #strawberry #arugula #spring #feta — Variation with strawberry and feta

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Once dressed, this salad is best enjoyed right away. Arugula is a tender leafy green that wilts quickly as it sits in the lemon dressing.

If prepping this salad ahead of time, store the dressing separately until ready to serve (up to 5 days).

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

Arugula Salad with Parmesan | foodiecrush.com #salad #recipes #

4.69 from 170 votes