Zesty Baby Arugula Salad with Pistachios

Baby arugula is combined with crunchy pistachios, salty parmesan cheese, and creamy avocado in this baby arugula salad with pistachios. It’s a simple recipe to make and it is filled with flavor.

One of my favorite leafy greens is baby arugula. I love its peppery and almost bitter flavor which comes to life when it’s drenched in a honey lemon vinaigrette. The tangy lemon and sweet honey create a perfect balance, which makes every bite refreshing and vibrant. This salad really is a simple yet delicious way to enjoy this arugula. Add grilled chicken or salmon to this salad and you have a full low carb and complete meal.

Here is what you will need

This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make this arugula salad and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.

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How to make this baby arugula pistachio salad recipe

Prepare: Rinse the arugula under cold water and thoroughly dry it. Remove the flesh from the avocado and cut it into chunks; and measure the pistachios.

Mix the dressing ingredients (lemon juice, honey, and olive oil) in a small jar or small mixing bowl, and set aside.

STEP 1: Place the baby arugula, pistachios, and avocado chunks into a large bowl.

STEP 2: Pour half of the dressing over the salad and gently toss.

STEP 3: Use a y-vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan cheese into thin slices and add them to the salad. Season with black pepper and sea salt to taste, toss once again and serve.

Note: If you have extra salad dressing, store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Substitutions and variations

Baby arugula – If you don’t care for the peppery flavor of arugula, it can be substituted with baby greens, Boston lettuce, baby spinach or a mix of your favorite greens.

Pistachios – I love the crunch pistachios add to this salad. My preference is unsalted pistachios and they can be shelled or unshelled which are a little more expensive, but convenient. If you prefer another type of nut, almonds, walnuts, pecans or cashews are good choices too.

Honey – The dressing needs a touch of sweetness to balance out the zesty arugula, and honey is a great option, if you don’t have honey, you can swap it with maple syrup or agave nectar.

Lemon Juice – This adds a nice tang to the dressing and can be substituted with white balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar. You can also use orange juice for an even sweeter dressing.

Cheese – Parmesan cheese adds a nice salty flavor, but you can use any type of cheese such as blue cheese crumbles, feta cheese crumbles, or goat cheese.

Add fruit – Add sliced or chopped fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds.

Make ahead instructions

Even though this salad is simple to put together, it can be assembled a few hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator without the cheese and dressing.

Just before serving add the salad dressing and shave the cheese.

How to store leftover arugula salad with pistachios

Leftover salad can be stored for up to two days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

What goes best with this salad

This salad tastes great with almost anything it is served with. Turn it into a healthy meal when it is served with pork chops with vinegar peppers and potatoes, Chicken Caprese, Cilantro Lime Shrimp, Grilled Chicken Breasts with Strawberry Balsamic Salsa, Fresh and Easy Blush Sauce with Pasta, Pasta with Bolognese Sauce, Ground Chicken and Pasta Casserole, Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers, Buffalo chicken eggrolls.

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