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Apple Arugula Salad

Apple arugula salad with a lemon-honey Dijon vinaigrette that coats peppery greens and keeps thin apple slices crisp. Crunchy walnuts, chewy dried cranberries, and shaved Parmesan finish the salad for an easy toss-and-serve bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

apple arugula salad
  • 6 cup baby arugula
  • 2 crisp apples, thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 0.33 cup shaved Parmesan
  • 0.25 cup dried cranberries
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.1 salt
  • 0.1 pepper

Method
 

Make the lemon honey Dijon vinaigrette
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified. No heat is needed—keep whisking until glossy and smooth.
  2. Toss the apple slices with a spoonful of the dressing to prevent browning. Let them sit briefly while you prep the salad.
Assemble and serve
  1. Add baby arugula to a large bowl and keep it loose. Arrange it in an even layer so each bite gets greens.
  2. Top with the apple slices, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries. Distribute the fruit and nuts across the surface.
  3. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss gently. Stop as soon as the greens look lightly coated.
  4. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve immediately. The cheese should sit on top while the salad is crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: slice apples very thin and toss them with dressing right away so they stay crisp and don’t oxidize. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 1 day, but dress shortly before serving for best texture; freezing is not recommended. For a lighter option, use half the olive oil (still emulsified with the lemon juice) and consider substituting part-skim Parmesan.