Fresh, peppery arugula pairs with meaty mushrooms in this easy, elegant salad. Toasted walnuts add crunch, and a fast balsamic dressing brings it all together.
This nourishing and nutritious salad is snazzy enough to serve at a dinner party and simple enough to enjoy on a weeknight. As a plus, you can readily adapt it to be a vegan or vegetarian main dish!
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💖Why you'll love this salad
The ingredients in this salad are easy to find any time of year and are loaded with flavor.
You can serve it as a first course, side dish, or a light main dish with some simple additions.
It's naturally vegetarian, and a single no-brainer swap makes it vegan (psst! Omit the honey and swap in agave nectar or maple syrup).
Ingredients
- Arugula
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Balsamic vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Salt and pepper (optional)
None of these ingredients are too unusual.
🍄 Opt for shiitake mushrooms, if possible. They have more umami flavor and are particularly yummy if you want to serve the salad as a light main.
If you can't find them or they are too expensive, use white button mushrooms, which have plenty of nutrition and deliciousness.
🐝 Vegans can swap out the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar.
Use salt and pepper at your discretion. They do add some oomph to the balsamic vinaigrette.
Steps to make this salad
Toast the walnuts in the oven using a piece of foil on a baking sheet or in a dry skillet. (You can use the skillet again to sauté the mushrooms.)
Briefly sauté the minced garlic in oil, or sprinkle garlic powder on the mushrooms as you cook them and they soften.
Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until slightly soft. I like to add a pinch of salt while cooking to bring out their flavor.
Place the arugula in a large bowl and top with the toasted walnuts.
Add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and honey to a small jar or bowl along with salt and pepper to taste. Shake the jar vigorously or whisk the dressing to emulsify.
Pour the dressing over the arugula, mushrooms, and walnuts, and toss the salad. Serve as an accompaniment (side dish) to a hearty main like steak, fish, or chicken, or enjoy as a light main dish with crusty bread.
This salad is definitely dinner-party worthy! Serve as a first course or offer on a table, so guests can serve themselves.
It would work beautifully on a table as a partner to an egg strata or quiche, and a farro, quinoa, or pasta salad, such as my Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing.
Variations
Vegan: Omit the honey from the dressing. If you want, replace it with another sweetener like agave nectar, maple syrup, or a pinch of sugar.
The dressing could also take a bit of dry or Dijon mustard (affiliate links). Another good swap, if you have it in your cupboard, is white balsamic vinegar (affiliate link) in place of the dark stuff.
The nuts do not have to be walnuts. You could easily sub pecans or slivered almonds. Sunflower seeds are a good choice if you have a tree nut allergy.
(Want to know more about nut and seed substitutions? Read Brazil Nut Substitute: 4 Nuts and 3 Seeds!)
Make it a meal
This salad, which already contains four grams of protein, easily becomes a vegan or vegetarian main course with the addition of chickpeas for more plant-based protein.
Omnivores can turn it into lunch or dinner by adding shrimp, chicken, or a scoop of cottage cheese.
How healthy is this salad?
For a salad that tastes this good, the calories are low, less than 200 per serving, and if you are living the low-carb life, it's a good choice since it only has seven grams of carbs (less if you leave out the honey).
So, it's an excellent choice for weight loss. The counterpoint is that it's high in fat. But, the fats are mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, which means they are heart-healthy.
🧂With less than 250 mg per serving, high sodium is not a concern.
The arugula, of course, supplies a bevy of micronutrients. It's high in vitamins A, C, and folate (B9), and a serving is an excellent source of vitamin K. These vitamins, particularly A, C, and K, support bone health.
Nutrition Speak: A good nutrient source offers 10% to 19% of the Daily Value. An excellent source provides 20% or more.
👀Arugula is a good to excellent source of calcium and is loaded with antioxidants in the form of beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are all top-notch nutrients for eye health.
Mushrooms also contain antioxidants, especially beta-glucans, a fiber that supports gut health and acts as an antioxidant.
Practical Dietitians rate this recipe as Good for Bones.
Learn more about the criteria.
When enjoyed as a salad, side, or snack, Practical Dietitians, who are a nutrition resource for bone health, rate this recipe as Good for Bones.
There is health synergy between the mushrooms and arugula since mushrooms are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D. In combo with the calcium and vitamins in arugula, the salad provides powerful support for bones.
Of course, olive oil and walnuts provide healthy, anti-inflammatory fats that support your heart and blood vessels. In addition, walnuts add fiber, along with a wealth of minerals.
Walnuts are an excellent source of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc, and also contain calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
FAQ ❓❔
Using raw mushrooms further speeds up the salad prep, but some mushrooms, can make you sick if not cooked before eating. Any type of foraged mushrooms should be cooked.
Cooking is also a way to help you digest mushrooms more easily and prevent bloating. However, if you are in a hurry, feel free to use button mushrooms, which are okay to eat raw.
Keep in mind, though, that the salad will taste better and sit more comfortably in your belly if the mushrooms are cooked!
You can toast the walnuts; clean, slice, and cook the mushrooms, and make the balsamic vinaigrette ahead of time. Just don't put everything together with the arugula until you are ready to serve it.
If you plan to eat the salad on more than one day, don't toss the whole thing with the dressing. Store the salad and vinaigrette separately in the fridge. Drizzle dressing on the salad just before eating.
Other recipes you might like...
If dark green leafies and salads are always in your diet rotation, you will enjoy this Kale Salad with White Beans. It's hearty and delicious, a great vegan main with a copycat recipe based on a kale salad sold at Erewhon Grocery stores in Los Angeles.
Or, how about spinach? Spinach Salad with Salmon, topped with roasted root veggies, is a delicious meal that's perfect during the colder months, but can be enjoyed year-round (carrots are always available!).
If it's a nutrient-packed vegetable side dish you want, Pesto Roasted Vegetables are a rainbow of deliciousness! These sit well in a grain bowl or piled on top of pasta. They're also nice with a chicken breast, fish fillet, or even a steak!
Arugula Mushroom Salad with Walnuts
Equipment
- 1 Medium saute pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Small bowl
- Salad tongs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin, divided use
- 1 clove garlic, minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic granules
- 8 ounces mushrooms, shiitake or white button, cleaned and sliced
- ⅜ teaspoon salt, Kosher, divided use
- 5 cups arugula, a generous 3 ounces
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided use
Instructions Start Cooking
- Wash hands thoroughly, lathering with soap, and rinsing with running water.
- Toast the walnuts in a 375°F oven or dry sauté pan until lightly browned. Set aside, and chop when they are cool.¼ cup walnuts
- Heat a Tablespoon of oil in a medium sauté pan. Add sliced mushrooms, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Cook until softened and toss in the minced garlic, or sprinkle with garlic granules. Continue to cook for 9 to 12 minutes, until they have softened and released water.8 ounces sliced mushrooms¼ teaspoon salt⅛ teaspoon black pepper1 clove garlic, minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic granules
- Whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or shake the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid until emulsified. 2 Tablespoons olive oil2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon honey⅛ teaspoon salt⅛ teaspoon black pepper (or less)
- Measure out five cups of arugula (about 3 ounces, or slightly more than half a five-ounce tub) into a medium to large bowl.3 ounces of arugula
- Add cooked mushrooms to the arugula. Pour dressing over greens and mushrooms. Toss everything together until lightly coated. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the salad and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Copyright © 2025 Jani H. Leuschel
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