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Apple Arugula Salad

Apple arugula salad with a lemon honey vinaigrette, crisp thin apple slices, toasted walnuts, and shaved Parmesan. Peppery arugula is tossed just enough to stay bright and lightly glossy.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

baby arugula
  • 6 cup baby arugula
apples
  • 2 crisp apples thinly sliced
walnuts
  • 0.5 cup walnuts toasted
Parmesan
  • 0.33 cup shaved Parmesan
dried cranberries
  • 0.25 cup dried cranberries
olive oil
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
honey
  • 1 tbsp honey
Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp Salt and pepper to taste to taste

Method
 

Make the lemon honey vinaigrette
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon, salt, and pepper until emulsified, using steady whisking until the dressing looks uniformly glossy.
Assemble the salad
  1. Toss the apple slices with a spoonful of the dressing to prevent browning, coating the apples so they look lightly glazed.
  2. Add the arugula to a large bowl and top with the apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries so the toppings sit in an even layer.
  3. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and toss gently until the arugula looks lightly coated, not drenched.
  4. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve immediately for best crunch and brightness.

Notes

Pro tip: slice apples right before assembling and coat them with dressing to limit browning. Store assembled salad in the fridge up to 1 day, but keep Parmesan separate if possible for best texture. Freezing is not recommended. For a dairy-free option, swap Parmesan with toasted pumpkin seeds for a similar salty crunch.