Arugula Salad and Ultimate Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

hr min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups arugula

Directions

Combine the shallot, mustard, vinegar, oil, sugar, honey and salt and pepper in a jar and shake to emulsify.

Toss arugula with vinaigrette, to taste.

Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

2 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

2 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 7 ounces Gorgonzola
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for deep-frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups coarsely torn arugula (about 10 ounces)

Directions

Blend the Gorgonzola in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl occasionally. Using 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese for each, form the cheese into 18 (1-inch) balls. Working in batches, coat the balls with the egg then with the bread crumbs. Repeat coating the balls in the egg and bread crumbs. Arrange the balls on a small baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, and lemon peel in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.

Add enough oil to a heavy small saucepan to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. At this point, remove the refrigerated Gorgonzola balls from the refrigerator. Working in batches, add the cold balls to the hot oil and fry just until golden brown, about 20 seconds. (It is essential that the Gorgonzola balls be cold when they go into the oil, otherwise they will fall apart in the oil. If they start to warm up at any point, return them to the refrigerator to firm back up.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried balls to paper towels to drain.

Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad on plates. Top the salads with the hot fried Gorgonzola balls and serve immediately.

Beet-Arugula Salad with Buttermilk-Blue Cheese Dressing

, 2006, Robin Miller, All rights reserved

Prep Time:

5 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh arugula
• 1 cup sliced jarred or canned beets
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2/3 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Arrange arugula on a serving platter. Top with sliced beets and mandarin oranges.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and blue cheese. Mix until blended and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour mixture over salad and serve.

Arugula Salad with Olive Oil, Lemon, and Parmesan Cheese

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

hr min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bunches arugula, washed, dried, and torn
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

In a serving bowl, drizzle the arugula with the oil, squeeze in the lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until well mixed and taste for seasoning. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin pieces of Parmigiano over the top.

Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

10 min

Cook Time:

12 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium beets, cooked and quartered
• 6 cups fresh arugula
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
• 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
• 3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Directions

Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool.

Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad atop 4 plates. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

Arugula Salad with Pears and Gorgonzola

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee, 2008

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

hr min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can pear halves, drained and sliced, reserve 2 tablespoons juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar dressing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby arugala
• 4 tablespoons Gorgonzola, crumbled
• 4 tablespoons glazed pecans

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons reserved pear juice and olive oil and vinegar dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add arugula and toss to coat.

Divide dressed arugula among 4 chilled salad plates. Top each salad with 4 pear slices, Gorgonzola, and pecans. Serve immediately.

Cannellini Bean, Red Onion, and Arugula Salad

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

As one of my friends likes to say, this salad is "cute as hell." I won't lie, it is. But more importantly, I love cannellini beans, and there's no easier way to enjoy them than in this good-looking, great-tasting salad. Even though the beans are from a can they should still be firm and whole, not all mushy and falling apart. If you open a can and the beans look like that, then you need to be using another brand of beans. The thinly sliced red onion adds a nice bite as does the spicy arugula. Make sure that the arugula you get looks really perky and green.

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Handful washed basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 20 grinds black pepper

Directions

Empty the cans of beans into a colander and rinse them briefly under cold water. Drain thoroughly and empty the colander into a large serving bowl. Toss the beans together with the red onion and arugula.

Shake the olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil, salt and pepper in a sealable container until the salt is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. It's best to make and dress the salad about an hour before you serve it. Let it stand at room temperature, tossing every time you think about it. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.