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Apple Arugula Salad

Apple arugula salad with thin crisp apple slices, toasted walnuts, shaved Parmesan, and dried cranberries tossed in a lemon honey vinaigrette. Quick, crunchy, and peppery from baby arugula—finished right before serving for maximum bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

baby arugula
  • 6 cup baby arugula
crisp apples
  • 2 crisp apples
walnuts
  • 1 cup walnuts toasted
shaved Parmesan
  • 0.333 cup shaved Parmesan
dried cranberries
  • 0.25 cup dried cranberries
olive oil
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
honey
  • 1 tbsp honey
Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Make the lemon honey vinaigrette
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Keep whisking until the dressing looks glossy and uniform.
Toss and assemble
  1. Toss the apple slices with a spoonful of the dressing to prevent browning. Coat them lightly so they stay crisp.
  2. Add baby arugula to a large bowl, then top with the apples, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries. Spread everything into an even layer.
  3. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss gently. Stop as soon as the leaves are coated to keep the salad bright.
  4. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve immediately. Add it right at the end so it stays fresh on the greens.

Notes

For best texture, thin-slice the apples and toss them with dressing first to reduce browning. Toast walnuts until fragrant, then cool completely before assembling. Store leftover salad in the refrigerator up to 1 day, but expect the arugula to soften. For a dairy-light swap, use shaved pecorino or omit the Parmesan.