This Cherry Arugula Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing Recipe is an easy arugula salad recipe that weaves in the sweet seasonality of early summer cherries. It's become our go-to salad after the small bunches of arugula we received in our CSA box. Additionally, I've been buying cherries by the pound at our local farmers market just to make this deliciously simple salad.
It's sure to become your favorite salad as we kick off the summer salad season. Scroll down to see how we assemble this salad in minutes and print or pin the full recipe card to make this today.
What You'll Love About This Cherry Arugula Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing Recipe
You'll love the balanced peppery flavor of this leafy salad green with the sweetness of cherries. Sliced sugar snap peas offer a delicious crunch. And, a delicious herby salad dressing brings it all together. This salad is brunch or picnic menu worthy and there are plenty of customizations you can add to keep in the rotation of options for simple side salads.
Ingredients for This Simple Arugula Salad
This delicious salad requires few ingredients and we make enough dressing to make about 6 servings. Here's what we'll need for our fresh arugula salad:
- Arugula. About 8 ounces of arugula leaves here will be the base for this fresh baby arugula salad. I'm a huge fan of arugula from our CSA box and the Esmee variety has been a delight to use in this healthy salad recipe.
- Mixed Lettuce Greens. In truth, the peppery taste of the arugula can be a bit strong for folks. As a result, I like to balance it with other mixed lettuces like romaine lettuce. Merveille de Quatre Saisons, my favorite, is an heirloom bibb lettuce that has beautiful ruby-red leaves that surround tightly folded green hearts. That would also be delicious here. We had some red leaf and Batavian lettuce from our CSA box which we used here. We use 8 ounces to create an even 50/50 mixture of peppery arugula and milder lettuces for our salad mix.
- 8 ounces cherries, pitted and halved. Cherries add a lovely pop of color to this salad that I love. Since we're using fresh cherries we pick up at the farmers market or grocery store, we'll want to ensure we remove the pits and slice them in half. A cherry pitter is a great tool to have on hand for this.
- 1 cup sliced sugar snap peas. I made this salad for a mom brunch event and I wanted to keep it nut free, for those with allergies, but still have some crunchy texture. The springtime sugar snap peas work beautifully for this. For added crunch you can also add in a tablespoon of hemp seeds or a mix of toasted and roughly chopped walnuts and pistachios.
- ½ cup French style feta. I love the tangy flavor of feta and I found a French style feta at our local grocer. It's creamier and more mild in tang compared to traditional feta but if you can't find that style using a traditional feta, or even goat cheese, works just as well.
For the Herby Salad Dressing
An herby vinaigrette is absolutely perfect here for an easy homemade dressing. My go-to dressing uses shallots, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, and chopped fresh herbs. For this healthy side salad, I love the combination of tarragon, mint, and chives for this late springtime salad. I usually tend to make extra dressing to have on hand for "On Demand" lunch salads for the week, too.
How to Make This Cherry Arugula Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing Recipe
The best part about this Cherry Arugula Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing Recipe is that it's literally ready in 10 minutes. Here's how we assemble it quickly:
- First, prepare the vinaigrette. To start, whisk together the minced shallots, lemon zest, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper until well combined. Add in the olive oil in a slow steady stream. Next, whisk until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified. Add in the chopped fresh herbs. Use a bit of the salad greens to taste the dressing to check for your desired seasoning. Sometimes, we may want to add in a touch more kosher salt and ground black pepper. Once the vinaigrette is flavored as you like, set it to the side to prep remaining salad ingredients.
- Trim the ends of the sugar snap peas and slice into ¼ inch thick slices along the diagonal. Add ½ of the sliced snap peas to the bottom of a large salad bowl.
- Remove the cherry pits and slice cherries in half. Add half of the sliced cherries to the same large salad bowl.
- Rinse salad greens and give them a rough chop or tear the leaves for a bit more rustic presentation. Add the greens to the salad bowl.
- Pour in a couple tablespoons of the dressing and give the salad a gentle initial toss. Top with the remaining sliced snap peas, cherries, and feta. Finally, drizzle another couple tablespoons of dressing and serve immediately.
Tips and Additions for The Best Arugula Salad
- Keep any extra dressing in a mason jar or airtight container to use within the week for easy weeknight meals or even to make this salad on repeat.
- This salad may be served at room temperature making it perfect for the brunch table or outdoor picnics. You can prepare the salad and dressing a few hours ahead, but wait to toss it all together until just before serving. Essentially, I like to pour the dressing along the bottom of the bowl first then top with the salad ingredients before serving to make it easier for transport.
- A key note: The salad does not hold up well for leftovers next day as the delicate greens become soggy with the dressing the longer it sits.
- When it comes to serving this salad, I love either a grilled lemon flavor chicken breast, grilled or roast fish, or even a hearty grilled steak.
More Early Summer Salads to Try
Usually when the temperatures rise, I crave more fresh and bright flavors while reducing oven and stove use. Here are a few more summer salads to check out:
Cherry Arugula Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cherry Arugula Salad
- 8 ounces arugula
- 8 ounces mixed lettuce greens
- 8 ounces cherries pitted and halved
- 1 cup sliced sugar snap peas
- ½ cup French style feta
- Optional: hemp seeds, toasted walnuts or pistachios
For the Herby Salad Dressing
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon, chives, and mint
Instructions
- First, prepare the vinaigrette. Whisk together the minced shallots, lemon zest, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper until well combined. Add in the olive oil in a slow steady stream and whisk until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified. Add in the chopped fresh herbs and use a bit of the salad greens to taste the dressing to check for your desired seasoning. Sometimes, we may want to add in a touch more kosher salt and ground black pepper or a teeny drizzle more honey. Once the vinaigrette is flavored as you like, set it to the side to prep remaining salad ingredients.
- Trim the ends of the sugar snap peas and slice into ¼ inch thick slices along the diagonal. Add ½ of the sliced snap peas to the bottom of a large salad bowl.
- Remove the cherry pits and slice cherries in half. Add half of the sliced cherries to the same large salad bowl.
- Rinse salad greens and give them a rough chop or tear the leaves for a bit more rustic presentation. Add the greens to the salad bowl.
- Pour in a couple tablespoons of the dressing and give the salad a gentle initial toss. Top with the remaining sliced snap peas, cherries, and feta. Drizzle another couple tablespoons of dressing and serve immediately.
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