A few weeks ago I went to a favorite restaurant and had a breakfast dish I love — poached eggs served on toasted ciabatta with a bit of Grana Padano and prosciutto. It is a simple dish, and perfectly done by this restaurant. But they usually served it all alone on a plate, and it always looked a little naked to me. This time, however, I found that they had added an ultra-simple salad to the plate: Just a few bites of baby arugula, dressed with nothing more than a drizzle of oil and some salt. It was a vivid reminder of just how good a simple arugula salad can be.
The peppery arugula refreshed my palate between each bite of that rich, buttery toast and egg dish. I went home craving arugula salad like never before.
It was a welcome reminder to me that salads don't need to be difficult or complicated. As much as I love an elaborate salad with plenty of crunchy, salty, and sweet bits involved, a small mound of arugula with nothing more than lemon and olive oil can be just as satisfying.
And arugula is actually in season right now! Yes, arugula is a cold weather green, and if you live in a moderately temperate climate you can grow a pot of arugula right now. Even if you live in a very cold place like Ohio or New York, arugula can grow under a light cover of plastic. It's very adaptable to cold, and it bolts at the first sign of heat.
So as springs creeps closer, don't forget your arugula salads. They are the perfect complement to a rich, hearty casserole — so refreshing and delicious.
I dress mine very simply. I toss the greens with a thin drizzle of olive oil, then a sprinkle each of crisp kosher salt and black pepper. At the very end, I squeeze a Meyer lemon over them (just a few drops!) and toss with my hands. I ate a pile of arugula with this dressing a few nights ago, and was perfectly satisfied.
How do you like your arugula salads?
Related: If You Grow Just One Thing This Spring... Plant Arugula
(Images: Faith Durand)
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Arugula is my favorite green. I seriously could eat it every single day and never get sick of it. I usually make my own dressing (just lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper) but if I'm feeling lazy I just give it a spritz of lemon juice and that's it.
Arugula is one of my favorite greens, it s so nice to eat with out much fuss!
while i wouldn't buy bottled salad, vince from scordo, i will continue buying bottled salad dressing, thanks for your concern.
i (heart) arugula very much too! i love it on toasty bread with goat cheese and roasted peppers. or in a salad. or wilted with squash. or ...
I agree that bottled salad dressing is horrible!
I love arugula salad with lemon juice (key lime preferred!). My other fav simple salad dressing is garlic & anchovy squished into a paste and then add olive oil & balsamico *my ratio preference is 1/4 cup olive oil to 2-3 tblspns balsamico*
I also make this with vegenaise & mustard for a ceasar dressing.
When I was in Australia and New Zealand a couple years ago, we often had poached eggs on toast for breakfast and every cafe served it with arugula (they call it rocket) salad. I became obsessed with the combination! Definitely my favorite green as well. Like rebecca_f, I also love it with goat cheese on crust bread. When it starts to get a little limp, I toss it in with pasta. Yum all around.
This is my all time favorite thing to eat, which I find so bizarre given my love of cooking, and meat, and being not thin. Hmm.
This is my all time favorite thing to eat, which I find so bizarre given my love of cooking, and meat, and being not thin. Hmm.
I love it piled on a plain slice of pizza, drizzled with hot-pepper oil (though if I don't have the oil, I just sprinkle pepper flakes on the pizza instead). I don't know why raw arugula on a slice is so good, but it sure is.
Yum! I love arugula! It's so simple. One of my go to arugula recipes is with grapefruit segments and avocado. Toss together a vinaigrette with olive oil and grapefruit juice with a touch of dijon mustard. Yum!
I never had arugula just by itself. And I grew it last fall! Guess I have to start a new batch to see what the fuss is all about.
I'm in the minority here because there are some bottled dressings that I love. Of course the Kraft ones suck but something like Annie's goddess dressing rules.
Arugula makes every sandwich better.
Nearly every dish I ate while living in the UK was served with a side of "rocket." I don't know why this isn't more commonplace in America.
We've started getting arugula from the farmers' market every single week, and it's basically the only salad green I use these days. I love it. I often serve it with a lemon juice-olive oil vinaigrette and shavings of parmesan over the top, or with a sesame oil-rice vinegar-soy sauce-veg. oil-toasted sesame seed dressing. YUM.
I love arugula and I love that plate! Faith, can you provide a source for it?
arugula + grape tomatoes + mushrooms + lemon juice + olive oil + salt & pepper = OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM
i just had arugula, flaked alaskan salmon from a can, cherry tomatoes, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, toasted walnut pieces, roasted red beets and carrots ..made my dressing of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and a bit of dijon mustard. So super yummy.