Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Dressing
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 3 cups fresh arugula
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and lemon juice until the honey fully dissolves. This step matters because honey can clump if you add the oil first.
- Emulsify the oil. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while continuing to whisk. Keep going until the dressing looks slightly creamy and holds together.
- Season. Add the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to the dressing, then whisk once more. Taste and adjust, some lemons are more tart than others, so trust your palate here.
- Prep the arugula. Place the 3 cups of arugula in a large mixing bowl. If it came from a bag, give it a quick check for any wilted leaves and discard them.
- Dress the salad. Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the arugula first. Gently toss to coat. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away.
- Add the Parmesan. Transfer the dressed arugula to a serving plate or bowl, then scatter the shaved Parmesan on top. Don’t toss again after this step, you want those thin, delicate shavings to stay intact.
- Serve immediately. Arugula wilts quickly once dressed, so bring it to the table right away.
Notes
- Don’t overdress. Arugula is delicate and will turn soggy fast. When in doubt, use less dressing and serve the extra on the side.
- Use a block of Parmesan. The difference in flavor between a freshly shaved block and pre-grated cheese is significant in a recipe this simple.
- Scaling up. This recipe doubles easily for a crowd. Just dress in batches so the leaves stay perky.
- Make-ahead. You can whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead and keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge. Shake well before using. Don’t dress the arugula until right before serving.
- Add-ins. Toasted pine nuts, halved cherry tomatoes, or thin slices of prosciutto all work well if you want something more substantial.
- Parmesan substitutes. Pecorino Romano works as a swap and adds a slightly saltier, more intense flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg