Rocket Salad with lemon & pine nuts

🍴 Why you will love this recipe

A peppery, green rocket salad (arugula salad) is a classic side salad - fancy enough for restaurant menus but quick and easy for any weeknight dinner too. A simple lemon dressing and scatter of pine nuts makes this extra special, and a perfect pairing for so many main dishes.

You can easily make this side salad in under a minute, so it is ideal for speedy suppers or entertaining when you want to spend minimal time in the kitchen. It would go perfectly alongside my vegan moussaka or creamy vegan gnocchi.

Rocket is so easy to grow, and readily available in most supermarkets. It has a peppery taste which goes so well with the lemon dressing and 'buttery' pine nuts.

📝 What you need

Ingredients

Rocket is very easy to grow, or just as easy to find in supermarkets. In the US it is known as arugula, or it is sometimes called roquette.

Lemon gives this peppery salad its citrus zing. I find the juice and zest of half a lemon is enough, but if you want a very strong lemon flavour, by all means use the whole thing.

Pine Nuts add crunch and a soft sweetness to the salad. If you have time, toasting them for a minute or two in a dry frying pan makes a big difference to their texture and flavour.

Olive oil Try to use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil if you can, it has a stronger, richer flavour which pairs perfectly with the rocket.

👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your rocket salad

For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼 .

Mix the olive oil with the juice and zest of half a lemon in a small bowl. Season well and whisk until smooth. Mix the rocket and pine nuts into a large bowl. Tip in the dressing and toss until fully combined.

🥗 Variations

You can use this simple rocket salad as a base for a full meal by adding some more substantial ingredients. How about:

• Avocado adds healthy fats and vitamins, making this filling and nutritious as a lunchtime salad.
• Baby new potatoes boiled or roasted add texture and bulk to turn this into a main meal. They are delicious tossed in the lemony dressing.
• Croutons made from sourdough or ciabatta, tossed in a little oil and lightly toasted in a frying pan or oven.
• Baby beetroot pre-cooked and dipped in vinegar.
• Sun-blush tomatoes add a flavour hit that goes well with the lemon.
• Pasta perfect to use up leftover boiled pasta.

🔪 Top Tips & FAQs

Add the dressing right at the last minute to prevent the rocket leaves from wilting or becoming soggy before serving.

If you don't have a lemon to hand, you could make the dressing with 2tsp balsamic or white wine vinegar instead, for a simple vinaigrette.

🍽 If you liked that...

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