Winter Arugula Salad with Black Currant Vinaigrette
A winter arugula salad is so easy to throw together for lunch or dinner! Here is a combination our family enjoys with a delicious black currant balsamic vinaigrette that is perfect for the winter months. Cultivated Tree Herb De Provence Infused Olive Oil complements the spiciness of the arugula along with the immune boosting and fresh taste of the black current balsamic. Great as a side dish, or make it a bit more entree appropriate by adding rotisserie chicken or salmon.
Winter Arugula Salad with Black Currant Vinaigrette
With easy to find all year ingredients, this is a great salad for a side dish or entree worthy by adding rotisserie chicken or grilled salmon.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 Lb rinsed and dried fresh arugula
- 1 cup roasted salted marcona almonds Whole Foods, Sprouts and even Kroger carry these!
- 1 cup dried tart cherries, craisins or black currants use what you have and like! Tart cherries are in the photo
- 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or your fav 'stinky' cheese
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- rotisserie chicken or grilled salmon optional complementary proteins
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup Cultivated Tree Herb De Provence Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Cultivated Tree Black Currant Dark Balsamic
- 1 Tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small minced shallot
- salt and pepper to taste (after whisking in Dijon) note: I either season my salad or my vinaigrette
Instructions
Salad
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Rinse and dry the arugula thoroughly – divide on plates for 6-8 servings depending on meal
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Add dried tart cherries to each plate and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, then top with Marcona Almonds – warning: don't taste them or you will consume half before the meal begins 🙂
Vinaigrette
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In a 2 cup glass measuring cup add all of the ingredients and use a immersion blender to emulsify – about 10 seconds. Or, whisk by hand until fully incorporated which is my typical method. It's not necessary, but perfectly fine to whisk the Black Currant Dark Balsamic and the Dijon mustard and then add the oil in a slow stream until emulsified which is a better forearm workout. (Just checking if you are actually reading this.)
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Drizzle over individual salads – if its an entree size I typically use 2 Tbsp of dressing per salad and then serve the remaining on the side.