• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
That Zest Life
  • Recipes
    • By Cooking Method
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pan
    • By Main Ingredient
      • Chicken
      • Beef
      • Meat Free
      • Noodles
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Dessert
  • Special Diets
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Paleo
    • Sugar Free
    • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
    • Cooking Method
    • Main Ingredient
    • Special Diets
  • Free Digital Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Recipes » Warm Arugula Salad with Roasted Vegetables

    Warm Arugula Salad with Roasted Vegetables

    Published: Jan 23, 2020 · Modified: Dec 8, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases ·

    Jump to Recipe

    In the winter salads just don't sound good to me. It's a time for warm comforting meals that warm up your soul. Unfortunately a lot of those warm comforting meals are just not that healthy for you. My summer go to of a hearty salad just does not sound appealing when it's cold and raining. This Warm Arugula Salad solves all of my wintertime cold food blues. The hot oven heats up my apartment and the warm salad is perfect for curling on up on the couch with a huge bowl.

    arugula salad

    Most of my experience with arugula has been as a topper for fancy burgers. If a restaurant is trying to make their burger sound fancy I swear they just put arugula on top. My first real experience with arugula salad was at a local salad bar. I was really surprised with how peppery and mustardy it is. The seasoning I chose for this arugula salad is meant to bring out those flavors and give you a Mediterranean flavor.

    Jump to:
    • The Secret to Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
    • Changing it Up
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Roasting Vegetables

    roasted vegetables

    I honestly just love a roasted vegetable. I will roast an entire pan of a vegetable and happily eat the entire thing. That crust that develops in a hot oven is divine. When making this arugula salad choose vegetables that you love. I chose classic roasting vegetables: onion, pepper and zucchini, but I also love eggplant and broccoli and carrots. By tweaking the vegetables you could build a new dish that keeps you eating salads all winter long.

    A key for cutting the vegetables is to do large cuts. You want them to be perhaps slightly larger than bite size so that they take a little longer to cook in the oven and can get a beautiful caramelization. This also helps them to hold their shape when mixing as well. If you cut into smaller portions, just keep an eye on them as they cook so that they don't become too mushy. As you mix your salad at the end mushy vegetables will completely come apart.

    The Secret to Perfectly Roasted Vegetables

    Roasted vegetables are perfect when they're firm and browned on the outside while perfectly cooked on the inside. There are two keys to getting them this way. One is a hot oven and the other is a hot pan. So while you're chopping the vegetables, preheat your oven to 475 WITH the pan inside. This creates a more crispy vegetable overall because you're not trying to heat up the pan and the vegetables. They start searing right away once you put them on the hot pan.

    I don't use aluminum as a non-stick surface for my pans because I don't want any of that seeping into my food. I love these silpat reusable silicone mats. They're food safe and environmentally friendly because they're endlessly reusable. I have 2 half sheets and 2 quarter sheets that I use all the time for creating non-stick surfaces in the oven. Word of caution, they will hold up a lot better with handwashing although I occasionally put them into the dishwasher.

    arugula salad recipes

    Once you've got everything chopped up and ready to go, grab those pans out of the oven, throw the vegetables on the mat with a drizzle of olive oil. Don't overcrowd the pan! You want everything to have room to breath. It's ok to use multiple pans and put them on different racks. Just change the rack positions half way through when you toss the vegetables.

    And Toss!

    Once the vegetables are done, let them sit for a few minutes and then just drop them straight from the pan into a big bowl on top of the arugula. It's going to seem like a lot of arugula at first, but trust me on this one. The hot vegetables wilt the arugula and they reduce drastically in size.

    This is where you add in the additional flavor elements. I pulled out my favorite cookbook, The Flavor Bible, to see what flavors make Greek food taste Greek. This cookbook has no recipes, but I love it because you can look up any ingredient or cuisine and it will tell you what flavors taste good with that ingredient. For a Greek salad I decided to use garlic, oregano, dill, lemon and red wine vinegar, but there were plenty more options to choose from! It really takes the guesswork out of what flavors go with what or how to create a cohesive dish.

    arugula salad with feta

    Changing it Up

    There are a ton of ways you could make this arugula salad your own. Change the vegetables, add meat (I love adding shrimp), change the seasonings, use spinach instead, add nuts, change the cheese etc. Think about a cuisine that you like. What vegetables do they usually use? What are the main spices? What cheese do they gravitate towards? What meat do they use? Then start incorporating those into the dish. This is where The Flavor Bible really comes in handy. Look up the cuisine you're trying for a run with it!

    What About My Diet?

    Well I mean this is a salad! It's going to fit into most eating styles easily. If you're doing Keto I would be mindful of using vegetables with too high carb count. Easy fix though! You can use more cheese and steer away from starchy vegetables. Overall you're going to get healthy fats and lots of vegetables out of this meal.

    I think you're going to be surprised by this one! It's both warm and comforting and healthy. If you try this or any of my recipes, let me know! I'd love to hear from you. Leave any questions or thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. Happy eating!

    Recipe

    arugula salad

    Warm Arugula Salad with Roasted Vegetables

    A perfect winter time meal that is comforting and healthy. It’s ideal for your January healthy eating resolutions no matter your diet.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Greek
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 206 kcal

    Equipment

    • Roasting pans
    • Large bowl
    • Silicone mat

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 red bell pepper, large chopped
    • 1 red onion, large sliced
    • 2 yellow squash, large diced
    • 3 zucchini, large diced
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 7 oz arugula
    • 6 oz feta
    • 2 tbls red wine vinegar
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
    • 1 tsp granulated garlic

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 475 with the roasting pan in the oven.
    • Chop vegetables and add to preheated pan. Toss with ⅔rds of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
    • Place arugula into large bowl. Once vegetables are done, let sit for 3 minutes and then place directly onto bed of arugula. Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano and salt and toss until arugula is fully wilted. Salt to taste and add feta. Mix and serve.

    NOTES

    Be careful not to over toss. The vegetables will break down. 
    Add steamed shrimp for additional protein. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 724mgPotassium: 644mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1853IUVitamin C: 61mgCalcium: 225mgIron: 1mg

    If you make this recipe, be sure to tag @thatzestlife in your photo! I would love to see what you made!

    As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    « Chorizo Scotch Eggs
    Sheet Pan Meatballs with Charred Broccoli »
    30 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • Mix

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth

      January 24, 2020 at 12:34 am

      5 stars
      I adore roasted vegetables too. Definitely trying this Sunday! Thanks, Megan!

      Reply
    2. Renee

      February 12, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner and loved it. Ate the leftovers for lunch and it was still great! Felt really good to eat a lot of vegetables. Will make this again!

      Reply
      • Megan

        February 15, 2020 at 3:16 am

        I’m so glad you loved it!

        Reply
    3. rika

      March 19, 2021 at 4:11 am

      5 stars
      I grow my own arugula in my backyard! This salad looks so healthy and delicious. I love veggies!

      Reply
      • Megan

        March 19, 2021 at 4:38 am

        Oh then you have to try this! Top with any veggies that you like and a lovely dressing.

        Reply
    4. cyndy

      March 19, 2021 at 4:40 am

      5 stars
      This hit all the right notes for me! I added some carrots because my kids love roasted carrots and it was amazing - the arugula was the perfect green and I just love feta!

      Reply
    5. Irina

      March 19, 2021 at 5:02 am

      5 stars
      I love your recipe. I have made arugula salad, but it always was a traditional cold version. What a great alternative this warm option is. I will be making it for sure. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Jeannette

      March 19, 2021 at 6:07 am

      5 stars
      With the weather cooling down, this is the best weeknight salad. Perfect with a simple protein and so good for any event!

      Reply
    7. Michelle

      March 19, 2021 at 6:29 am

      5 stars
      This salad was so delicious -- the roasted vegetables are amazing with the feta and arugula. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    8. Teri Bryant

      August 31, 2021 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this salad. Added grilled salmon to it! Will make this again!!

      Reply

    Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Let's Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Welcome to That Zest Life

    picture of megan cooking

    I am here to help you take recipes that you find anywhere and make them your own and even better. Follow the recipes or read all my suggestions of what you might do to mix them up! Cooking is all about making sure it tastes good to you but it takes practice! Follow along on my journey through healthy and not so healthy eating while I live my zest life.

    Get Your Free Digital Cookbook

    free digital cookbook with pages from the cookbook

    Popular Posts

    • Homemade Toaster Strudel
    • Dry Brine Chicken - Spatchcocked & Smoked
    • Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon & Thyme
    • Brookies | Marbled Brownie Cookie Bars

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About That Zest Life
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 That Zest Life

    30 shares