25 Best Arugula Recipes

From pesto sauce and Panzanella to cocktails, there are plenty of arugula recipes to suit anyone’s tastes. 

Some will be familiar, and others will shine a new light on this peppery leaf.

Why should you be eating more arugula? 

Well, there are lots of reasons, but one of the most important is that it’s good for you. 

It’s low in sugar, carbs, calories, and fat and high in nutrients. I’m talking potassium, calcium, vitamins C, A, K, and more. 

Check out my post, “What is arugula?” to learn more. Or keep scrolling to explore my go-to arugula recipes. 

25 Recipes With Arugula That Go Beyond Salad

1. Easy Mint and Arugula Pesto Sauce

We usually think of pizza when we think of pesto, but you can use this delicious, bright green pesto on anything you like! 

It has a bright, zesty flavor that’s refreshing and tastes great on just about everything.

Plus, it takes only 15 minutes to make, so you can whip it up in no time. 

2. Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza

Of course, pesto also tastes great on pizza, which is why we think the two go hand-in-hand like they do in this recipe. 

You’ll make the pesto using the same ingredients in the pesto above, but then, you’ll add it to pizza dough with mozzarella, tomatoes, arugula, and more.

It’s delicious and has a ton of flavor (and veggies!) for a healthy, appetizing meal even the kids will enjoy. 

3. Bacon Arugula and Egg Wraps

You can even work arugula into your breakfast dishes with this bacon, arugula, and egg wrap.

It’s packed with protein and will help start your morning off right. 

In addition to the things mentioned in the recipe’s title, each one also features potatoes, shallots, mayo, hot chili sauce, and salt. 

4. Warm Arugula Bread Salad

Bread salad may seem like a very odd (and unhealthy) salad, but once you realize the bread is just homemade croutons, it makes a bit more sense. 

The salad combines arugula, garlic, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, dressing, and “crusty whole-wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes” – i.e., croutons.

It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a light lunch full of leafy greens. 

5. Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan

If you’re looking for something quick and simple, you can’t beat this 5-minute arugula salad.

All you’ll need is olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, arugula, and parmesan. 

Mix everything in a bowl except the parmesan. Once it’s well mixed, top it with parmesan and more salt and pepper to suit your tastes.

It doesn’t get much easier than that.

6. Roasted Chicken Pita Wraps

This 30-minute meal is easy to pull together and has a ton of protein, thanks to the chicken thighs and chickpeas. 

It’s filling and healthy and has plenty of flavor from the fresh dill and arugula, tzatziki sauce, and other herbs.

Plus, you can’t beat it when it comes to simplicity. 

7. Israeli Couscous Salad

Israeli couscous salad is an excellent option if you’re looking for something with lots of garden-fresh flavor and a bit of lemon and Dijon zestiness. 

Plus, it takes only 35 minutes to make, and there are 13 grams of fiber in each serving. 

8. BLT Panzanella

Who says BLTs can’t be healthy?! With this BLT panzanella, you’ll get all the yumminess of a true BLT with only a fraction of the carbs. 

That’s because instead of piling all the ingredients on two slices of bread, you’ll make it into a salad with crunchy fried bread bites as croutons. 

You’ll also add avocados, garlic (or shallots), basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

It’s a complete meal in one single salad bowl, and you can have it ready in 20 minutes or less.  

9. Strawberry Arugula Salad with Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette

This recipe has two main components: the salad and the salad dressing. For the salad, you can stick to the recipe or add your own favorite salad ingredients. 

For the dressing, though, you’ll want to stick to what’s written because this balsamic vinaigrette is one of the best I’ve ever tried. 

It contains maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil – a simple combination that tastes utterly fantastic.

10. Vegetarian Avocado Sandwich

This 10-minute sandwich is vegetarian-friendly, super thick and filling, and requires no cooking whatsoever.

It has a fresh, zesty flavor and plenty of fresh veggies and feta cheese. 

11. 5-Ingredient Pasta Salad

Whether you use homemade pesto or DeLallo basil pesto like the recipe recommends, this five-ingredient pasta salad is sure to delight everyone who tries it. 

It has a fabulously bright taste that’s almost a mix between a pasta salad and a real salad. It’s 100% yummy.

12. Summer Peach Salad with Quinoa & Arugula

This 15-minute, gluten-free salad features arugula, quinoa, peaches, fresh blueberries, zucchini, red onions, butter-fried halloumi, and an insanely good homemade honey vinaigrette dressing.

It’s fresh, crisp, and sweetly tart and is the perfect summer salad. 

13. Creamy Vegan Arugula Soup

You can whip up this creamy, vegan-friendly arugula soup with only ten ingredients in just 30 minutes.

It’s rich, somewhat spicy, and has a lovely green color that looks good on any table.

It’s also dairy-free unless you opt to put a dollop of sour cream in it for serving. Chives or scallions also help enhance the flavor.

14. Arugula Apple Pear Pomegranate Fall Salad

In my opinion, the more colorful a salad is, the prettier it looks, and this is one beautiful salad.

It combines fresh veggies with crisp, tart fruit and pomegranate arils. 

The maple vinaigrette adds warm sweetness to the otherwise somewhat tangy salad, and the contrast between the two (dressing and salad) is phenomenal.

15. Sautéed Arugula with Red Bell Peppers

If you like side dishes with a bit of heat and peppery flair, you’ll love this sauteed arugula with red bell peppers. 

The arugula already has plenty of peppery spice, but once you add bell peppers and red pepper flakes to it, you get a whole new depth of flavor. 

16. Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Lemon, and Olive Oil

This salad is the perfect combination of spice and tanginess. You get zesty notes from the lemon juice, lemon zest, and Dijon mustard.

The arugula, parmesan, and shallots add spice and earthiness and just a hint of cheesiness. 

17. Best Quinoa Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

If you prefer a salad with a bit of heft to it – something that’ll keep you full for hours – you’ll have to try this one.

It contains raw quinoa, arugula, and almonds. Doesn’t sound like much, right?

But it is! I don’t know how – maybe it’s the carbs in the quinoa or the protein in the almonds – but this three-ingredient salad is so filling that it’s almost unbelievable. 

Plus, the honey-lemon vinaigrette is super tasty.

18. Chopped Antipasto Salad

Here’s another chunky, hearty salad that’ll keep you full for hours at a time, but it has far more than just three ingredients. 

This one contains quinoa, radicchio, capers, bell peppers, arugula, salami, gouda, and a homemade vinaigrette with garlic, Dijon mustard, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

It’s delicious to the very last bite.

19. Orzo Arugula Salad with Feta and Grapes

If you’re looking for a salad with a bit more sweetness to it, try this one instead.

With grapes, pine nuts, lemon juice, grapeseed oil, and feta cheese, it has a ton of flavor. 

There’s also orzo, olive oil, salt, asparagus, and arugula for some leafy greens, veggies, and carbs.

It takes a little under 40 minutes to make, but it’s a filling, tasty lunch for all occasions.

20. Spicy Lemon Arugula Penne

This flavorful pasta is spicy, zesty, and is a light lunch option that won’t weigh you down. 

You can also make it vegan-friendly simply by leaving out the parmesan or substituting nutritional yeast for it instead. 

21. Arugula Salad with Berries

If you prefer your salads with lots of sweetly tart berries, this one is the one for you. 

It foregoes most typical salad ingredients in favor of just five simple ones: arugula, blueberries, strawberries, feta cheese, and balsamic glaze. 

It takes only 10 minutes to whip up and tastes so good that even the kids will ask for more salad on their plates. 

22. Mushroom Quesadillas with Beans & Arugula

Make your gooey, cheesy mushroom quesadillas even healthier by adding a can of cannellini beans and two ounces of fresh baby arugula.  

They have the same great taste, and you can give them your usual favorite toppings, but you’ll get a little more nutrition out of them this way.

23. Mango, Avocado, and Arugula Salad 

This is one of those salads that has strange ingredients that don’t seem like they should go well together – arugula, mango, avocado, red onion, and lime – but ends up tasting fantastic.

However, much of the yumminess in this one comes from the spicy orange vinaigrette dressing. It’s citrusy, peppery, and truly scrumptious. 

I usually keep a bottle in my fridge and use it on other salads, as well.

24. Grilled Pork-and-Peach Salad With Honey-Mustard Dressing

If you’re looking for the ideal sweet and savory salad that contains plenty of protein and leafy greens, you can’t beat the grilled pork and peach salad. 

It’s sweet, zesty, spicy, and savory, and each ingredient complements the others flawlessly. 

I like it so much that I’ve made it a regular part of my lunch rotation and usually have it at least two or three times a month.

25. The Roquette

Believe it or not, you can even work arugula into your cocktails! The roquette is a twist on the classic gimlet. 

You can whip it up in just 5 minutes, and all you’ll need are arugula leaves, honey simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and Dry London gin. 

It’s a clean, green palette cleanser that you won’t soon forget.