Simple Arugula Pomegranate Salad with Parmesan

This simple, vibrant, peppery arugula pomegranate salad with parmesan (rocca salad) requires just 6 base ingredients tossed in a balsamic glaze, for a simple, nutritious, rocket side salad to pair with any main meal! Plus, tons of options to adapt this flexible, simple arugula salad recipe!

This simple arugula pomegranate salad with parmesan (rocca salad) is bright, vibrant, peppery, and refreshing! With just a handful of ingredients, this simple and versatile arugula parmesan salad is the perfect way to finish any meal or holiday table as a nutritious, colorful, fast, flexible side salad (alongside this massaged lemon kale salad)!

With a combination of fresh arugula, parmesan, pomegranate, walnuts, and a balsamic glaze, this winter/fall arugula salad recipe is sweet, sour, peppery, and is perfect for any fall/holiday occasion. However, with tons of ways to adapt the recipe, you can enjoy a simple arugula/rocket salad any day of the year!

This simple arugula parmesan salad is hardly even a “recipe.” It’s just a few ingredients tossed together, with the genera ratios fully adjustable to personal taste. Therefore, it can be thrown together in about 10 minutes (even less if you’re using prepared pomegranate, etc.). And, once you’ve prepared this a few times, you won’t even need a recipe anymore – that’s how simple it is!

Looking for more simple side salads using arugula? You might enjoy this arugula watermelon feta salad or arugula beet and goat cheese salad!

The Arugula Parmesan Salad Ingredients

This easy lemon pasta recipe requires just 6 base ingredients (plus salt and pepper), with optional parmesan cheese and garnishes!

• Arugula: also called rocket/Rocca leaves.
• Parmesan: (optional) I recommend using high-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano. Use a vegetarian parmesan if preferred, or pecorino would also work. You can shave it yourself or buy shaved parmesan.
• Balsamic glaze: you can use a balsamic glaze, balsamic pearls, or even some pomegranate molasses!
• Pomegranate: you can buy pre-shelled pomegranate seeds, but I usually find these a little lackluster and prefer to peel and de-seed the pomegranate myself.
• Walnuts: use unsalted raw or lightly toasted (in a dry pan until fragrant. Usually 2-3 minutes) walnuts. You can add them whole or chopped for healthy fats and crunch. Pistachios, pecans, pine nuts, or slithered almonds would also work (raw or toasted). You could also use candied nuts to make this arugula walnut salad!

Alternative Arugula Salad Dressing (Lemon Vinaigrette)

Instead of a balsamic glaze, a simple lemon vinaigrette is my second favorite salad dressing. Simply combine extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. For extra flavor, you could also add either honey or maple (optionally with a dash of vinegar, too, like balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar) for a simple arugula salad dressing.

At its simplest, you can create a basic arugula parmesan salad recipe by combining arugula, parmesan, and either the balsamic glaze or lemon vinaigrette mentioned in the below section. Everything else is optional!

Optional Add-ins and Variations

The simplicity of this arugula salad with pomegranate makes it delicious alone and super versatile for optional mix-ins. So, here are just a few ideas to jazz up this simple arugula salad.

• Salt & Black pepper: I find additional salt unnecessary since the parmesan is salty enough. However, a crack of black pepper tasted wonderful.
• Apple: add 1 thinly sliced apple for a delicious apple arugula salad.
• Pear: thinly sliced pear will make a delicious arugula pear salad (optionally with cranberries, too, for a delicious fall arugula salad).
• Strawberries: in the spring/summer, you can make a delicious strawberry arugula salad with the addition of in-season, chopped strawberries.
• Roasted squash: this pairs well with apple/pear too. Pumpkin or butternut squash are my faves (around ½ cup).
• Cranberries: add a handful of dried cranberries for little bursts of sweetness in the fall arugula salad. Raisins/ golden raisins would also work.
• Orange: add some peeled and halved (or even quartered) orange segments (from 1 orange).
• Lemon zest: either use fine zest or slithered lemon peel to add extra bright bursts of tang and zingy flavor.
• Fennel: use ½ fennel bulb (thinly sliced) and pair with lemon vinaigrette (mentioned below) for a simple fennel arugula salad.
• Avocado: one avocado, chopped, will add creaminess and healthy fats to the rocket salad.
• Pasta: adapt this into a pasta salad with arugula and your choice of cooked pasta (or couscous).
• Red onion: to remove some of the harsh “raw” flavor from the onion, soak it in ice water for 10 minutes before adding to the walnut and rocket salad.
• Spinach: if the peppery bite of arugula is a bit “much” for you, feel free to use a combination of rocket and baby spinach leaves in your desired ratio.

How to Make Arugula Pomegranate Salad (Rocca Salad)

This simple arugula balsamic salad recipe requires just three simple steps and a few minutes!

First, rinse the arugula/rocket leaves well, then dry them with a salad spinner or clean kitchen towel.

Then, grate the parmesan (if you aren’t using it pre-grated). At the same, peel the pomegranate to remove the pomegranate arils (seeds).

Finally, assemble the salad in a large serving dish. First, add the arugula leaves, then top with the pomegranate, parmesan, a handful of walnuts, and finally, a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

How to Serve?

This simple arugula salad is the ultimate simple side salad for practically any main. To get you started with some ideas, you could serve it alongside:

• Pizza – like this Neapolitan style pizza or butternut squash pizza.
• Pasta – like Caprese pasta salad, tomato eggplant pasta, baked feta and beet pasta, etc.
• Lasagna – like this mixed vegetable lasagna.
• Soup – like veggie minestrone, turmeric ginger pumpkin soup, lentil soup, creamy tomato soup, etc.
• Quiche.
• Omelette.
• Grilled cheese sandwich.
• Baked potatoes and sweet potatoes.
• Shakshuka and Turkish scrambled eggs (Menemen).
• Chicken shish tawook or lamb kofta.
• Simple baked salmon or Teriyaki salmon.

You can also prepare this arugula parmesan salad for potlucks, picnics, BBQs, dinner parties, and as part of your Thanksgiving/Christmas table, etc.!

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Make ahead: you can prepare the salad elements (arugula leaves and pomegranate) and dressing separately and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Then, when you’re ready to serve the arugula parmesan salad, assemble the prepared ingredients and add the parmesan and walnuts.

Store: once fully assembled and dressed, this arugula balsamic salad is best eaten immediately. However, any leftovers could be stored in the refrigerator for an additional day. You may want to add a little more balsamic and a handful of fresh arugula when eating it the second day.

FAQs

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Dry the arugula well: (after rinsing) if you don’t, you can end up with a soggy arugula salad (yuck!).
• Use the ingredient amounts as a guideline: after making this arugula parmesan salad a few times, you’ll come to know “by eye” what your preferred amounts are. Then you won’t even need to refer to a recipe!
• Experiment with add–ins: feel free to experiment with this arugula balsamic salad based on the season and occasion. Arugula leaves have a peppery, bitter flavor that pairs well with tons of ingredients, so have some fun for a salad green that will never become boring.

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• Easy Cold Broccoli Apple Salad (Vegetarian/Vegan | 5-Minute)
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If you try this simple arugula pomegranate salad recipe (Rocca salad/Rocket salad), I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!