Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 mins
Total: 13 mins
Servings: 4
Yield: 5 cups
Even on the most exhausting days where my brain is starting to melt, assembling this salad is a breeze for me. Using just five ingredients and taking less than 15 minutes to make, it's faster than waiting for delivery!
Have you ever tried charring a lemon? After learning how this simple technique brings out the natural sweetness of lemons, I ran to my kitchen to experiment. Whoever came up with this idea must have been a culinary genius or bored, but I'm forever grateful for stumbling upon this nugget of information. Long live charred lemons!
Why You Should Start Charring Your Lemons
I typically steer clear of lemon dressings because they’re overly sour but a quick singe before juicing has changed my mind completely. This technique softens the lemon's acidity, naturally coaxing out a gentle sweetness and smoky flavor. The tartness from the lemon juice helps brighten up this salad, providing a refreshing contrast to the earthy, peppery bite of arugula and savory parmesan cheese. It's a deliciously balanced salad.
Customize It
This salad is perfect as is while also being endlessly customizable. For texture, consider toasting your favorite nuts to add in or seeds like pine nuts or pumpkin seeds. Grilled proteins like chicken, salmon, or seafood would be another great addition if you want to turn this salad into a meal.
Recipe Tips
- Pressing the lemon into the skillet will make sure the whole surface of the lemon is in contact with the heat to get an even sear.
- Charring lemons sweetens the juice, eliminating the need for added sugar.
- Be careful not to overdress your salad—you want the leaves to glisten, not drip, with dressing.
- Skip pepper in the dressing since the arugula is naturally peppery enough.
Ingredients
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1 medium lemon, halved crosswise
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5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
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3/4 teaspoon fine salt
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1 (5-ounce) package baby arugula (4 packed cups)
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1/2 cup (3/4 ounce) parmesan cheese, shaved
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Heat a small stainless steel skillet over medium-high. Rub cut sides of 1 medium lemon, halved crosswise with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place lemon halves, cut side down, in the hot skillet. Press into the skillet with the back of a spatula for full contact. Cook, pressing down, until charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
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Juice the charred lemon halves to yield 3 tablespoons juice. Whisk together the lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl until creamy. Set dressing aside.
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Toss 1 (5-ounce) package baby arugula (4 packed cups) and 1/4 cup of the dressing in a large bowl until coated. Add more dressing, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired level of dressing is reached.
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Add 1/2 cup (3/4 ounce) parmesan cheese, shaved and toss gently. Serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side.
How to Store
Once dressed, the salad will not save. The dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- Swap the citrus—Use lime juice instead of lemon.
- Add a touch of sweetness—Don't char the lemon, and add a smidge of honey to the dressing.
- Grill the lemon—If you’ve already got the grill going for something else, instead of charring the lemon in a skillet, you can grill it.
- The dressing does double duty—You can use the salad dressing from this recipe as a marinade for chicken.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 112 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 11g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol 5mg | 2% |
| Sodium 371mg | 16% |
| Total Carbohydrate 2g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 2g | |
| Vitamin C 6mg | 31% |
| Calcium 103mg | 8% |
| Iron 1mg | 3% |
| Potassium 147mg | 3% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
