RoughChop Logo
Suggestions
🖨️

Arugula Salad With Apples

Chop Rating
chopchopchopchopchop
Sign in to review
Not yet rated
salads•american•vegetarian, gluten-free, contains nuts, contains dairy
15 minutes•4 servings•

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnut halves – toasted
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice – freshly squeezed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 ounces apples – cored and thinly sliced (~2 medium apples)
  • 5 ounces arugula
  • 1/4 cup red onion – thinly sliced (~0.5 medium red onions)
  • 1 ounces Parmesan cheese – shaved
Arugula Salad With Apples

Instructions

1. Toast the walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly darkened, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified.

3. Add the sliced apples to the bowl and toss with a spoonful of the dressing to lightly coat them.

4. Add the arugula, red onion, and cooled walnuts to the bowl. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and toss gently until the leaves are lightly coated and everything is evenly distributed.

5. Scatter the shaved Parmesan over the top and give the salad one more gentle toss. Serve immediately.

Arugula Salad With Apples balances peppery greens with crisp, sweet-tart fruit for a refreshing, lively bite. Toasted walnuts bring warmth and crunch, while shaved Parmesan adds a savory, nutty salinity that ties the flavors together. A bright lemon–Dijon vinaigrette lightly coats the leaves without weighing them down, letting each component shine.

Rooted in the Mediterranean love of bitter greens yet shaped by North American seasonality, this salad reflects the broader tradition of combining fruit, nuts, and sharp cheeses. Arugula (also called rocket) has long been used in Italian salads, and pairing it with fruit became popular in contemporary bistro cooking. Apples—an autumn staple across Europe and the United States—naturally found their place here, making this salad a modern classic on home and restaurant menus alike.