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OMG! This salad is so good I ate it for lunch AND dinner. Will absolutely make again. Thank you so much!
Autumn
This post is sponsored by juicy, crisp, beautiful California Grapes! Is that not the most fun thing ever?!
Look look look look look. 👆🏽
I’m gonna just tell you: That Tastes Really Good. It’s extra exciting to be sharing today’s arugula salad with you because
- You are down for the creative food combos that I dream up.
- You’re also lovers of whole, healthy food that TASTES SRSLY AWESOME (me too).
- We all like things that are generally weeknight-easy to make.
And this salad is all of that.
Yaaas.
We’re starting with those bursty California grapes and tossing them with a big bowl of farro, cashews, arugula, pickled red onions (!), and basil FROM MY GARDEN THANK YOU VERY MUCH, but oh no – the fun won’t stop there. We are capping off this epic combo by drizzling a black pepper vinaigrette over the whole thing and calling it a Very Delicious Day.
And the star of this lush arugula salad… it’s obvi. The GRAPES! 🍇👈🏼
Like, hey/quick reminder/note to self – grapes really DO rock.
They are naturally sweet, deliciously healthy, and not only do they make the perfect What Do I Eat While Watching TV Snack — grapes are a must in all my salads from here on out.
Let’s talk about the origins of this party on a plate.
Once upon a time, I went to New Orleans.
I ate a lot of things, but one thing really latched onto my food brain: Black Pepper Vinaigrette. It doesn’t even make sense. In the land of beignets and jambalaya and southern fried chicken, I find (and become addicted to) a dressing. On a salad. Just kick me off this blog already.
To my credit, the salad was not really a REAL salad – it had peaches and nuts and don’t get weirded out but also really delicious pieces of raw fish called cobia 😬👌🏽 and then, as mentioned, a luscious black pepper vinaigrette. I came home to Minnesota, where I don’t eat raw fish salads or other brave things, like, ever, and said to myself: you must must must find a way to get that very basic, very wonderful Black Pepper Vinaigrette into your life.
On an arugula salad with grapes and cashews and pickled red onions and basil.
I mean, look at us.
Gosh, we grow up so fast.
As I sort of obsessively mentioned already, the grapes in this salad were ON POINT.
I have been on the hunt for California grapes ever since I learned that 99% of our grapes grown here in the US are grown in California – so when I found the ones that said “Grown in the USA” (they are now in season and get ready for 6 more months of this, baby) I knew they were the California gems I was looking for.
And those juicy little bursts of joy were more than delicious. I couldn’t even stop myself. If half of them actually made it into this arugula salad before getting nabbed by my snacking mouth, I would be doing pretty well with life.
TO SALAD BLISSDOM –>>
Arugula Salad with Grapes and Black Pepper Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
This Arugula Salad has grapes, cashews, pickled red onions, and a simple black pepper vinaigrette. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free.
Ingredients
For the Pickled Red Onions
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 red onions, very thinly sliced
For the Black Pepper Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic
For the Salad
- 2 1/2 cups red California grapes, halved
- 2 cups cooked farro or a gluten free alternative like quinoa
- 3 cups arugula
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
- 1/2 cup chopped cashews
Instructions
- Pickled Red Onions: Place the vinegars, water, sugar, and salt in a jar with a tight fitting – shake lid until well combined. Add the sliced red onions. Refrigerate at least 24 hours or longer for best flavor.
- Dressing: Place the vinegar, olive oil, sugar, pepper, and salt in a jar. Crush the garlic clove and just drop it in the jar in one or two pieces – the idea is that you’ll still get some fresh garlic flavor infused into the dressing without the little pieces of raw garlic in the dressing when you serve it. 🙂 Shake to combine. You can make this ahead.
- Assembly: Toss the grapes and farro with about half of the dressing. Add the arugula, basil, cashews, and a handful (however much you want) of the pickled red onions. Toss to combine. Add additional dressing if it needs any more – for me, the original amount of dressing was just about right. Let the salad sit for just a few minutes to really get it nice and yummy, soaking in that dressing.
Notes
The amount of dressing is more than what you’ll need for 6 servings, but I always like to have extra homemade dressing on hand so I’m leaving these amounts as-is. Just keep the dressing for a few days and make the salad one more time! 🙂
For the nutrition I only counted half the dressing amount for 6 servings.
If making ahead, toss everything except the dressing, arugula, and basil. Those should be added right before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: arugula salad, vegan salad, black pepper vinaigrette
Thank you to California Grapes for sponsoring this delicious arugula salad which I will now go devour for the 800th time mmmk bye.
I’ve never tried grapes in salad (except chicken salad, does that count?) but I really want to try it out now, along with that black pepper vinaigrette that you have TOTALLY sold me on!
Yes! spicy and delicious! 🙂
This looks so fresh and delicious, love the sweet grapes paired with the peppery arugula. Perfect!
Thanks Stacey! Appreciate that!
Ohhhh usually I do pickled red onions w/white vin, but I have to try your fancy ones! I can seriously eat them all day long, salad or not.
So good! I will try with white vinegar too!
the idea of pickled onion + black pepper vinaigrette is crazy beautiful.
Thanks Dixya!
I love everything in this bowl! Yum!
Thanks Julie! You and I both!
This looks beautiful! I could probably eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I love cashews on salad. They don’t get enough love. 🙂
Agreed. Cashews for lyfe!
Lindsay this is such a stunning salad!!! Love love!!
Thank you Ami! 🙂
To salad blissdom indeed! That black pepper vinaigrette sounds awesome! Also, I need to start using the word “bursty”…amazing.
hahaha I know, me and my super awesome food vocabulary…
Love the bright, beautiful photos and that black pepper is so crisp and clear! Way to go!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! 🙂
I love a nice big bright salad. It’s a proven fact that we eat with our eyes as well as our mouths! I love arugula – I put it on everything. : )
Thanks Christopher! Eyes first – yes indeed!
Yay! Favorite salad topping frieeeeends! Grapes on ALL.THE.THINGS folks. Totally trying this Black Pepper Vinaigrette as I always lean towards sweet and need more black pepper in my life. Good call 😉
Also, I think the fact that you came away from NOLA loving something HEALTHY means you are right on track 😀 #score
Haha – I have no idea how that happened. srsly.
This salad makes me so happy! It looks positively scrumptious. I’m so glad you included pickled onions, it’s such a creative way to kick up the acidity. You’ve got me all excited to drop Cali grapes in salads now! Can’t wait to try this!
xx Sydney
Doooo it! 🙂
Lindsay this salad looks delish! I need this salad in my life right now!
Awesome! I hope you like it Ana!
Love the picture of the grapes!
Thanks Jenna! 🙂
Absolutely love the gorgeous pictures of grapes!!! And the whole salad looks so fresh and delicious! Yum!
Thanks Mary! The grapes make it easy to photograph…
Mmm, arugula, grapes and vinaigrette! This salad looks wonderful!
Thank you! 🙂
The grapes at my market have been so wonderful this year. Can’t wait to try them out in this beautiful salad!
Thanks Amy! Glad you’ve been enjoying the grapes too!
This looks and sounds so delicious!! I can’t wait to make it!!
Thanks Brie! Hope you like it!
Wait a hot second, is that salad floating in milk like cereal? This recipe sounds so good but the bowl in two of the photos make it look like the salad is sitting in a pool of milk!
Uhhh, what?! Weird. No milk here 🙂
I love, love, love sweet/salty dishes and adding grapes to this makes it a dreamboat, so thank you. Love the salad bowls too.
Hahah – dreamboat salad party!
PLEASE edit the Pinterest blurb for this recipe. It looks amazing and I pinned it to my board without reading the ingredients because it looks so delicious. However, it is NOT gluten free. Farro is a kind of wheat. For someone who needs to follow a gluten free diet, perhaps buckwheat (which, despite its name, is not a form of wheat!) could be substituted for the farro. Anyway, it looks amazing and I love your recipes even though I have to change them up sometimes to fit my families dietary needs.
Thank you Sarah!! I was coming here to say the same thing. Farro is straight up gluten/wheat! lol
Thank you! My major bad – I think in my mind it was quinoa because I made it that way a few times as well! Appreciate the catch!
You are so welcome. Love, love, love your blog.
Grapes are pretty much a staple in my Cali kitchen! LOVE this specialty salad combo & cannot wait for that black pepper vinaigrette to hit my palate!
Thanks Senika!
Looks and sounds stunning! I’d make it without the farro for a grain free/paleo friendly option! Yum!
Good call – thanks Shel!
Yum! Loving the way you balanced the acidity of the pickled onions (thanks for the recipe for those) with the sweetness of the grapes! This sounds incredible.
Thanks Ellen! Appreciate that!
I absolutely LOVE grapes added to my salads! this salads looks amazing! I love the sweet grapes spicy onion and fresh arugula in here such a great combo of flavors! 😉
Thanks Michelle! 🙂