Inspired by Aroma Espresso Bar, this is the BEST Arugula Salad – it features lentils, sweet potatoes, and lemon-olive oil dressing. You can meal prep it, too!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – you can use another neutral oil like sunflower oil or avocado oil.
- Sweet potatoes – yams or parsnips would also work, but sweet potatoes are my favourite.
- Dry brown lentils – garbanzo beans, chickpeas or fava beans are all similar, just keep in mind they may need to cook differently.
- Goat cheese – you can also substitute for feta cheese. Leave the cheese out altogether if you want to keep this recipe dairy-free.
- Red onion – white onion can be substituted, but red onion provides the best flavour.
- Arugula – baby spinach, mustard greens, watercress, baby kale or mixed greens would also work.
- Lemon juice – either freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice.
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
How to make arugula salad
Step 1: Roast the sweet potatoes.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Meanwhile peel and diced sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 inch thick), then add to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
Step 2: Cook the lentils.
While sweet potatoes are baking, cook the lentils. First, rinse them in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear, then cook them in a large pot of salted boiling water for 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain lentils and rinse well under cold water.
Step 3: Make the dressing.
While lentils and sweet potatoes are cooking, mix together olive oil, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a medium-sized bowl to make the dressing, then set aside.
Step 4: Prep your toppings.
Finally, slice the red onion and crumble the goat cheese.
Step 5: Assemble your salad jars.
When lentils and sweet potatoes are cooked, you can now start assembling your salads! Divide lentils evenly among the bottom of four (1L) mason jars, then divide dressing among the four jars. Add in sweet potatoes overtop, followed by goat cheese and red onion. Finish with arugula. Salad jars will last in the fridge up to 5 days.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
If you want to serve the salad right away and not store for meal prep, you can simply toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and then serve from there. Enjoy!
The best arugula salad dressing
This sweet potato arugula salad is finished off with a super simple but flavourful salad dressing. It’s light and simple and adds the perfect finishing touch to the rest of the ingredients – plus, it contains pantry staples you probably already have at home.
To make the best arugula salad dressing, mix together:
- Olive oil
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
Frequently Asked Questions
This arugula salad goes with just about anything and can be served on its own or as a side dish to yummy main courses like pasta and chicken. If you're going to be serving it as a side salad, go lighter on the sweet potatoes and lentils so it's not too filling.
Arugula salad is a great lunch or side dish that’s packed with nutrients and rich flavours. Also known as rocket, arugula comes from the cabbage and mustard green family and has a peppery and slightly tart taste. It’s more flavourful than baby spinach and is often served with roasted vegetables, goat cheese or shaved parmesan, nuts and fruit.
This arugula salad recipe has 511 calories and is full of amazing nutrients and protein. The arugula is high in calcium and iron, the sweet potatoes have plenty of antioxidants and the lentils are a great source of fibre and plant-based protein. While this recipe has a slightly higher calorie count than the Aroma version which has 450 calories, it also packs more protein and is made using fresh ingredients without any additives.
Storing this arugula salad
The best way to store this sweet potato arugula salad is in glass mason jars. Add lentils to the bottom of the jars followed by the dressing, sweet potatoes, goat cheese, red onion and arugula in that order. The salads will last in the fridge for up to 5 days so you can enjoy them throughout the week. When you’re ready to eat, shake it all together in the mason jar so that the dressing distributes evenly. I find it’s best to then pour all the contents into a bowl or plate, as eating from a mason jar can be tricky!
Freezing components of this recipe
While you can’t freeze this entire arugula salad, you can pre-cook then freeze the sweet potatoes and lentils. After cooking, let your sweet potatoes and lentils cool before freezing them in an airtight glass container or a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw them in the fridge overnight before adding them to your salad cold or reheating them in the oven or microwave.
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Meal Prep Tools
- If you're in need of a Y peeler, here's the one that I use.
- These mason jars are great for salads.
- You can also pack these salads in glass meal prep bowls.
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The BEST Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 cup dry brown lentils
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 small red onion very thinly sliced
- 8 cups baby arugula
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Meanwhile peel and diced sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 inch thick), then add to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
- While sweet potatoes are baking, cook the lentils. First, rinse them in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear, then cook them in a large pot of salted boiling water for 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain lentils and rinse well under cold water.
- While lentils and sweet potatoes are cooking, mix together olive oil, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a medium-sized bowl to make the dressing, then set aside. Finally, slice the red onion and crumble the goat cheese.
- When lentils and sweet potatoes are cooked, you can now start assembling your salads! Divide lentils evenly among the bottom of four (1L) mason jars, then divide dressing among the four jars. Add in sweet potatoes overtop, followed by goat cheese and red onion. Finish with arugula. Salad jars will last in the fridge up to 5 days.
- NOTE: If you want to serve the salad right away and not store for meal prep, you can simply toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and then serve from there. Enjoy!
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