Simple arugula salad with apple, pear and a lemon & olive oil dressing. It takes just about 10 minutes to prepare and makes a great salad for a light lunch; consisting of simple ingredients that help to detoxify and heal the body.
Everyday, Monday to Friday, I pack a salad lunch for Sikander and myself. Last Sunday we went for a day trip to Călăraşi and the whole day we had quite a few indulgent meals — Eggs and toast for brunch and a big burger each at a new restaurant we discovered in Bucharest. This reminds me that I need to write a guide to eating vegetarian food in Bucharest (note to self).
After the indulging Sunday our bodies were really in need for some light detox meal. When I asked Sikander what salad he would like for lunch, his reply was “a simple Green Salad”. At first I was actually thinking of packing him just a mix of salad leaves with a quick lemon and olive oil dressing. But then of course how could I do that!
On the way back from Călăraşi, I had bought this big packet of arugula leaves (Rucola as they are called here or Rocket leaves as I knew them before!) from a small shop. I emptied it out in my mixing bowl. Next, I had these beautiful pears on the counter. I sliced one and added on top of the arugula leaves. The salad did look quite green, so to add some colour, I sliced a red apple into the salad. Made a quick vinaigrette with Olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper. Drizzled it over the arugula salad and then sprinkled some dried goji berries, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.
Voilà! The green salad became a red and green vibrant and flavourful salad. The peppery taste of arugula leaves was perfectly balanced with the sweetness of pears and apples. The lemony salad dressing cuts the bitterness of the arugula and also keeps the cut apples from browning.
If you want to keep things simple, just arugula leaves with the lemon vinaigrette will do the trick. For more combinations, apart from apples and pears, watermelon should also go great with a simple arugula salad. What do you think of an arugula-watermelon salad idea?
Simple Arugula Salad with Apple, Pear and pumpkin seeds
Preparation time: |Serves: 2 as main
125 gms arugula leaves
1 pear
1 apple
1 tbsp mix of pumpkin seeds and chia seeds
1 tbsp goji berries
for the Lemon Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Sea Salt and pepper to taste
- In a large mixing bowl add the arugula leaves, pear and apple slices.
- Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, in a small bowl, to prepare the salad dressing.
- Drizzle the dressing on to the salad. Sprinkle seeds and goji berries. Toss to mix well and let the salad sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows for all the ingredients and the seasoning to marry each other well.
- I usually have the lunch salads packed by 8am and we eat it around 2pm so I know for sure that the salads keep well for up to 6 hours when refrigerated.
Approximate Nutrition Information for one meal size serving of arugula salad:
Health benefits of Arugula leaves for detox:
Arugula is a great leafy green vegetable for detox. It is low in calories and rich in fibre and antioxidants. It has high levels of chlorophyll, calcium and vitamin K. It helps lower cholesterol, balances blood sugar level, reduces the risk of cancer, promotes bone health, reduces inflammation. Basically, this little leaf packs in tons of goodness!
When we were on our 6 weeks detox, we ate only raw fruits and vegetables. This simple arugula salad is perfect for a detox diet. Since we avoid oils and vinegar too during detox, just omit the dressing and season with only some sea salt and lemon juice for the most benefits.
Did you make this salad recipe? What other fruits have you tried in an arugula salad recipe? I would love to know. Leave a comment or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Pinterest. Would love to start a conversation, share recipes, cooking experiences and food stories from India and around the world.
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