This spinach arugula salad recipe is a super simple side salad that complements any meal! It’s made of a 50-50 combo of tender spinach leaves and peppery arugula, and topped with veggies like freshly shredded carrot, chopped grape tomatoes, and bold pickled red onions. A generous shaving of parmesan cheese and crunchy toasted breadcrumbs finish everything off. Just add your favorite dressing and you’ve got the ideal veggie-loaded side dish for any lunch or dinner!
This is the salad you can make when dinner needs a veggie-forward BFF that’s fresh, colorful, and flavorful, without adding another 60 minutes of prep time onto the menu. It’s simple, but without being boring. The reason it works so well is because it uses complementary and contrasting flavor profiles to add a bit of drama! Balancing bold flavors like arugula with pops of acidity from pickled red onions means you’re getting pop, crunch, and brightness with each bite.
It’s the go-to companion for heavier main dishes like a hearty baked pasta, lighter bites like sandwiches, or even alongside simple proteins like marinated grilled chicken. And of course, it’s the absolute perfect partner for any Pizza Friday! I love pairing it with my quattro formaggio pizza or my turkey pepperoni pizza, too!
👀 the secret sauce…
✨ the flavor: This recipe showcases The Balancing Act Flavor Factor with its perfect mix of leafy greens, peppery arugula, bold and zesty pickled onions, and savory rich parmesan. The Intrigue shows up for a bonus blend of crispy, crunchy, and cool salad toppings.
🎯 the method: Simply clean + prep your ingredients, then layer them in a large serving bowl before presenting your salad to your hungry guests!
🏆 the win: You get a simple-to-make-side salad that can just as easily become a main dish with an added protein, and is versatile enough to stand up to a variety of salad dressings, from basic oil and vinegar to a seasonal vinaigrette!
what are The Flavor Factors?
The Flavor Factor Framework is my lil set of “flavor guideposts” for cooking with confidence! Less following recipes to a tee, more trusting your instincts, getting creative in the kitchen, and becoming a more intuitive cook! 👩🏻🍳
📚 the story of this salad
(aka everyone’s favorite part of food blogs!)
Salad recipes are favorites of mine, if only because it allows my culinary creativity to run freely with limited repercussions, and this side salad is no exception. 😌 You see, salads have simple formulas you can follow for delicious success. And unlike baking, even if you stray from the formula, your final recipe won’t be terribly impacted.
This quick side salad is one I love to make when I’m serving a meal that is lacking in veggies and could use an extra dose of fresh produce. It’s the kind of salad that’s so easy you’ll feel like you had a cheat code for nutrients, but the flavor is complex enough to feel like it’s worth a $12 upcharge from a restaurant.
You know the salads. The ones you look at on the menu like, “ugh…it’s just leaves + veggies HOW is it $12?!” And then before you know it, your server asks you if you wanna add a protein, and all of a sudden you’re eating an $18 salad you sorta hate yourself for loving, so you rationalize the price by swearing to at least recreate it at home.
…Not that I know anything about that. 🫣
🛒 ingredients needed for your salad
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 assembling your arugula + spinach salad
1: Rinse the spinach and arugula well in a colander or salad spinner to clean and refresh the greens. Add ice if your lettuce needs a pick-me-up!
2: Spin the greens dry, then pat them with a clean towel if needed. Dry greens help the dressing cling instead of sliding right off.
3: Shred the carrots, chop the tomatoes, and drain the pickled red onions so they don’t add extra moisture to the salad.
4: Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin pieces of parmesan from the block for bigger, more flavorful bites.
5: Add the spinach and arugula to a large bowl, then layer on the carrots, tomatoes, pickled red onions, parmesan, and breadcrumbs or croutons.
6: Add your favorite dressing just before serving, toss gently, and serve immediately while the greens are crisp and fresh.
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
Coco Chanel famously said “before leaving the house, look in the mirror and take one accessory off.” And while I do not follow her accessorizing rules when dressing myself, I do find that those rules apply well to assembling + dressing salads. 😆
- revive your greens – adding ice to your soaking bowl when rinsing the lettuce helps to revive your greens if they’re a bit wilted. Allow them to soak for 5-10 minutes, then scoop the ice cubes out before draining and spinning!
- dry dry dry – the single biggest tip for success is fully drying your greens. All too often I’ll see slightly damp greens going into a bowl to be built into a salad. Wet lettuce won’t hold on to dressing as well, and when you’re working with more delicate greens like tender spinach and arugula, it’s more likely to wilt quicker, too.
- dress to impress – don’t add dressing until you’re ready to serve the salad, otherwise things can get soggy!
- get the right mix of greens – too much spinach on its own can end up tasting sort of mineral-y, thanks to its high oxalic acid content (that’s right, NOT related to the iron content 🤯). Unless you have a preference for one or the other, stick to a 50-50 balance of spinach with arugula to create a blend of flavors that is peppery and slightly bitter, but also tender and slightly sweet!
- chop veggies evenly – always try to keep toppings around the same size, too, so that they mingle well and don’t overpower each other. Keep your toppings small enough to get a bit of everything in each bite, but not so tiny that they get lost in the mix.
🥗 build a better salad
When it comes to assembling a quick side salad, I like to stick to a simple ratio so I get a good balance of veggies + leafy greens. Otherwise you’re pretty much just eating a bowl of lettuce (nothing wrong with #DinosaurTime, if you’re a fan 🦕).
One of the bittersweet traits of ADHD is the ability to overcomplicate absolutely everything, even simple recipes like this one! 😂 If I had to do vegetable math, I’d say the ratio roughly translates to 3:1:1. That’s 3 parts leafy greens, 1 part veggie toppings, and 1 part protein/crunchy toppings. If you wanna get even more technical, I’d say it’s 0.5 parts protein toppings, and 0.5 parts interest toppings (like seeds, breadcrumbs, or crispy chickpeas).
I find that a large handful of greens (approximately 1.5 cups) is enough for a generous serving. Note that when I say greens here, I mean the mix of spinach and arugula. 😉
Next, a small handful of other toppings like shredded carrots, chopped tomatoes, and in this case, pickled onions does the trick to provide a bit of interest and intrigue.
Then, topping with a protein source, no matter how light, helps to round out the salad. In this case, I’m choosing parmesan cheese which adds savoriness, depth, and umami.
Finally, a crunchy component finishes off our salad formula, adding bite and (another word for interest). In this case, it’s my easy Italian breadcrumbs, which serve as a stand in for traditional croutons.
The salad dressing serves as an acidic component to help highlight the whole flavor party in the bowl! Below are some of my favorite options to use for this salad. In the photos, I use my parsley vinaigrette, but I’ve also used just a simple drizzle of oil and vinegar when I don’t have a pre-made dressing on hand.
🥫pick your favorite dressing
fresh parsley vinaigrette
This fresh parsley vinaigrette is THE dressing I make almost weekly at home! It goes so well with everything, so it’s a staple in my fridge!
honey french dressing
French dressing is a classic steakhouse pick for side salads, and this honey shallot dressing is packed with fresh flavor!
blue cheese salad dressing
Prefer a creamier dressing? This Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing is cool + creamy— simply swap parmesan for crumbled blue cheese and use this dressing!
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♻️ customize your side salads
- make it a main dish – add a baked, roasted, or grilled protein of your choice and this salad becomes a main dish in an instant! I also love to add a few homemade chicken tenders to top salads that would otherwise be a side dish for a quick meal.
- choose your dressing – pick a dressing with a little bite of acidity to help highlight and balance the bold flavors of this salad. Any sort of vinaigrette would work fine, from a basic balsamic vin to a seasonal fruity salad dressing! Add your dressing just before serving to keep everything fresh + crisp!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store leftovers
You can store your undressed salad in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but I like to line the storage container or bowl with a paper towel or two to help absorb any excess moisture.
Want to prep a little further in advance? You can store the prepared parts of the salad in separate containers for up to 3 days ahead of time, then assemble and serve!
💬 q+a
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read every single comment, and each rating is helpful to other readers, too! 🥹
I also love connecting on social media, so snap a pic and hashtag it #myrecipeforfun and tag me on YouTube, TikTok, Threads, or pin this recipe on Pinterest!
Simple Spinach and Arugula Side Salad
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Equipment
- 1 salad spinner for washing and thoroughly drying the lettuce
- 1 microplane grater or box grater for shredding carrot
- 1 vegetable peeler for peeling carrot + shaving parmesan
- 1 cutting board + knife for chopping tomatoes
- 1 large salad bowl for serving salad
Ingredients
- 44 g spinach about 1.5 cups, or half a 5-ounce container
- 70 g arugula about 1.5 cups, or half a 5-ounce container
- 60 g carrots about 1/2 cup, peeled + shredded, from 3 medium-sized carrots
- 85 g tomatoes about 1/2 cup, sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
- 30 g pickled red onions about 1/4 cup, or garnished to taste
- 25 g parmesan about 1/3 cup, shaved
- coarse breadcrumbs about 1/3 cup breadcrumbs or croutons, for topping
- salad dressing of choice about 1-2 ounces, or 2-4 TBSP per serving
Instructions
- Prep greens. Wash your spinach and arugula in a salad spinner or colander, then spin to dry or gently dry between a tea towel or layers of paper towel. Get the lettuce as dry as possible to keep it from getting soggy or wilted.44 g spinach, 70 g arugula
- Shred carrot. Peel + shred your carrots using a box grater or microplane grater. You can use pre-shredded matchstick carrots as a shortcut, but freshly grated carrot will be juicier!60 g carrots
- Chop tomatoes. Wash, dry, and chop the tomatoes into halves or quarters.85 g tomatoes
- Drain onions. Scoop pickled red onions from their brine and drain excess moisture from them. This helps to keep the salad dry!
- Shave parmesan. Shave strips of parmesan cheese off the block using a veggie peeler.25 g parmesan
- Assemble salad. Combine the spinach and arugula leaves, tossing gently to mix them well, then layer on the carrots, tomatoes, onions, and parmesan.60 g carrots, 85 g tomatoes, 30 g pickled red onions, 25 g parmesan
- Top with croutons or breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on a few spoonfuls of coarse Italian breadcrumbs or croutons.coarse breadcrumbs
- Dress + serve. Add just enough dressing to gently coat the leaves, then toss gently and serve immediately. Add more dressing if desired.salad dressing of choice
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- revive your greens – adding ice to your soaking bowl when rinsing the lettuce helps to revive your greens if they’re a bit wilted. Allow them to soak for 5-10 minutes, then scoop the ice cubes out before draining and spinning!
- dry dry dry – the single biggest tip for success is fully drying your greens. All too often I’ll see slightly damp greens going into a bowl to be built into a salad. Wet lettuce won’t hold on to dressing as well, and when you’re working with more delicate greens like tender spinach and arugula, it’s more likely to wilt quicker, too.
- dress to impress – don’t add dressing until you’re ready to serve the salad, otherwise things can get soggy!
- get the right mix of greens – too much spinach on its own can end up tasting sort of mineral-y, thanks to its high oxalic acid content (that’s right, NOT related to the iron content 🤯). Unless you have a preference for one or the other, stick to a 50-50 balance of spinach with arugula to create a blend of flavors that is peppery and slightly bitter, but also tender and slightly sweet!
- chop veggies evenly – always try to keep toppings around the same size, too, so that they mingle well and don’t overpower each other. Keep your toppings small enough to get a bit of everything in each bite, but not so tiny that they get lost in the mix.
♻️ customize your side salads
- make it a main dish – add a baked, roasted, or grilled protein of your choice and this salad becomes a main dish in an instant! I also love to add a few homemade chicken tenders to top salads that would otherwise be a side dish for a quick meal.
- choose your dressing – pick a dressing with a little bite of acidity to help highlight and balance the bold flavors of this salad. Any sort of vinaigrette would work fine, from a basic balsamic vin to a seasonal fruity salad dressing! Add your dressing just before serving to keep everything fresh + crisp!
