3 Herb and Arugula Salad is a vibrant salad with fresh herbs, peppery arugula, simple vinaigrette, and crunch from fried cashews! The recipe is naturally gluten-free, it can be adapted for vegans as well. Serve as a side salad or a refreshing lunch. 

I made this 3 Herb and Arugula Salad adapted from NY Times Soft Herb Salad Recipe for Galentine’s Brunch and seemed like everyone loved it. I use that recipe roughly as a base and switch herbs, nuts, & vinaigrette seasonally and it’s always a surprising burst of flavors and texture explosion in my mouth. Unlike regular lettuce-based salad, this one is light with herbs, it’s got lovely crunch from fried cashews, and everything is married well with simple vinaigrette.

We start the salad by rinsing (in cold water), cleaning and drying our greens. It’s a little finicky task but well-worth your time. Use a salad spinner or leave greens on a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture. Do not rush this step otherwise, you will end up with limpy greens which nobody wants. You can most definitely do this ahead of time and keep your greens in a ziplock bag in the fridge.

I love this salad mostly because of cashews. Not just any cashews but butter-fried cashews until golden brown! It takes the salad to a whole another level. Trust me on this one.

Roasted and thinly sliced beets were a last minute decision to compliment the Galentine Brunch theme (red and all you know) but they work well with greens and herbs so they are here to stay. For the greens, I am using arugula but if it’s too peppery and bitter for your taste, spinach is a good alternate.

Like most salads, there are really no hard and fast rules here; I want you to be inspired by seasonal herbs, greens of your choice, and fry nuts in butter and enjoy this salad with bright vinaigrette of your choice!

I served 3 Herb and Arugula Salad with Leek and Cheddar Frittata (stay tuned for the recipe) & Challah French Toast along with donuts from Funkytown Donuts in FW, parfait, banana nut bread, and of course mimosas! I had a blast putting together Galentine’s Brunch and meeting old & new friends for a relaxing afternoon.

Enjoy!

3 Herb & Arugula Salad

Serves: 2 large servings or 4 small sides

Ingredients

• 3 large handful of arugula
• 1 large handful of fresh basil
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 3-4 dill sprigs
• 1 medium beets, roasted, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

• Fill a large bowl with ice cold water and gently rinse all the greens.
• se a salad spinner to remove all the moisture. Alternatively, use a large clean kitchen towel to air-dry greens.
• Meanwhile, heat a small pan with butter and fry cashews until golden brown.
• Remove from heat and transfer cashews on a plate lined with paper towel.
• Reserve the cooked butter as a part of the dressing for later.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• When ready, chop all the herbs and put them in a large bowl. Add arugula and beets into the bowl.
• Add fried cashews on top and drizzle salad dressing and cooked butter on top.
• Gently mix everything and enjoy,