I love this this Simple Salad. I make it at least once a week, sometimes a few times. It is so good as is, or I use it as a base and build to it for a fuller meal. I also top it on pasta, burgers, bread, sandwiches, wraps, etc.! Last night for dinner I paired it with my turkey burgers and piled the salad off the top and out the side of the the burgers and we had a giant turkey burger salad bowl. It was so incredibly good that I considered having another one but looking forward to not making dinner tonight and having the leftovers. This salad is also good left over. The flavors marinade and it doesn’t get soggy like most. It actually tastes even better so don’t worry about making to much!
Ingredients:
5-6 ounces Arugula (one pack)
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of half a Lemon
5-6 turns fresh ground Himalayan Sea Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/2 cup crushed Bakery Croutons
1/4 cup (packed) finely shredded Parmesan
Optional: Shaved Fresh Parmesan for topping
Directions:
In a large bowl start by piling in the Arugula. First, drizzle the olive oil on, next squeeze the lemon (making sure to not let any seeds get in), then add the salt and pepper. With your hands mix and massage in the oil, lemon and S&P, make sure to get all the leaves covered. Crush the croutons, I usually just use my hands or the bottom of a cup depending on how hard they are, and add to the salad, lastly add the Parmesan. Mix everything in, I like to use my hands for this because it just seems to work best. Top with shaved fresh Parmesan.
Note: Bakery Croutons are not your average croutons and they make this salad in my opinion. You could use Italian bread crumbs and it’s still good but the bakery croutons have always been my favorite for this. Most stores sell them in their deli and bread area. They are amazing I could eat them by the cups full, they are day old breads of any kind, drizzled with olive oil and then let set out to stale or baked at a really low temperature in the oven to crust up. I make them myself from time to time when I have bread to use up or feel like making them.
I'm pretty sure you will love this Simple Salad as much as me and start eating it in every different way you can dream up. One of my favorite adaptations is adding grilled chicken, pistachios, and cherries to make a complete meal. I eat as is often for lunch with a couple pita wedges or make as a side to a lot of our meals.
Enjoy!