Rocca Salad w Easy Dressing

Name: Rocca Salad w Easy Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 12 grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes); 3 cups arugula (rocket); ⅓ pomegranate (seeds only); 8 small mint leaves; ½ cup walnuts (toasted); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp maple syrup; ½ tbsp lemon juice; salt & pepper to taste

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Rocca salad made using simple ingredients! So fresh, crunchy, tangy & tasty! Topped off with a healthy dressing.

This simple salad is perfect all year round & can be made in just 10 minutes!

If you've always wanted to incorporate more veggies into your weekly meals but didn't know how, this is it!

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💌 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🌱 Ingredients
👩‍🍳 Equipment
⏲️ Simple Steps
💡 Expert Tips
🍓 Variations
❓FAQ
👩‍🍳 Serving
📦 Storage
🥗 More Salads
🍴Recipe

💌 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Packed with leafy greens
A great side or even main dish
Contains healthy fats
Simple ingredients only
Rich in vitamin C
The perfect quick meal

Plus, I've got step-by-step photos and EXPERT tips waiting for you below.

Regardless of where in the world you're visiting this page from you can make this salad - both cups & metric measurements are given.

🌱 Ingredients

These are the salad ingredients you'll need.

Hint - exact quantities and nutritional information is available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

All ingredients needed to make rocca salad.

Ingredient Details

Arugula (rocket salad in the UK) - go for fresh, crisp arugula
Tomatoes - grape or cherry tomatoes work best. Make sure they have a crunchy, hard exterior (avoid any that have gone soft).
Lemon juice - freshly squeezes works best, but you can use lemon juice from concentrate.
Maple syrup - can be replaced with another liquid sweetener like honey, agave nectar, etc.
Red wine vinegar - can be replaced with apple cider vinegar.
Olive oil - extra virgin or light olive oil both work. Can be replaced with sunflower, hemp, rapeseed oil, etc.
Pomegranate seeds - add crunch & a sweet flavor note.

👩‍🍳 Equipment

Knife & chopping board
Large mixing bowl (or salad bowl)
Kitchen cups or scales

⏲️ Simple Steps

This recipe is SO easy. You'll just need to gather all your ingredients and toss them together.

See my fun visual overview to help you along the way!

1 - In a small bowl, mix all your dressing ingredients. Set aside.
3 - Prepare/chop the tomatoes in quarters and wash the arugula if required.
3 - Grab a large bowl and add all the salad ingredients to it. Toss to mix.
4 - Drizzle with dressing and give it one final mix.

Hint: Don't like walnuts? Simply swap them out for another type of nuts. Pine nuts, almonds & cashews all work super well.

💡 Expert Tips

If you can, buy pre-washed arugula leaves. This will save you some valuable time.
In case you need to wash the salad, a salad spinner comes in really handy!
If you've just toasted the walnuts, let them cool down a little before adding them to the bowl.
Use a large enough bowl - too big is better than too small. There's nothing more irritating than having to mix it in a bowl that's too small and have all the ingredients fall out.
See Variations below for more ideas on how to personalize this recipe to your taste.

🍓 Variations

You can play around with this recipe a lot, adding ingredients of your choice.

Spicy - add chilli flakes, jalapeño or sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
Protein - if you're eating this as a main dish, add a source of protein like tofu, lentils, chickpeas, or beans.
Cheese - I love adding some vegan parmesan cheese on top! Vegan feta cheese works super well too.
Red onion - adds some color, crunch & extra punch of flavor.
Fresh herbs - in addition to mint, you can add other herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, etc.
Strawberries - take this salad to a whole new level. Give it a go & see what you think!
Beetroot - adds some crunch & colour!
Dijon mustard - can be added for some kick without too much spiciness.

Other toppings like mushrooms, avocado, baby spinach & shaved carrots are brilliant too.

Green tip - I always encourage my readers to use up whatever they can from their fridge. Don't be afraid to add any other veggies, nuts, or herbs you might have lying around!

❓FAQ

Can this salad be prepped ahead of time?

Yes! Just make sure to store the dressing and the remaining ingredients separately.

Can I serve it with a different dressing?

Yes, you can easily drizzle it with a creamy, mayo-style dressing. Balsamic vinegar works brilliantly too.

If you like nutty flavors, a lemon tahini dressing is another great choice.

👩‍🍳 Serving

Rocca salad can be enjoyed on its own or with other dishes.

It goes with almost anything & makes the perfect side dish.

I love enjoying it with my bulgur pilav or some crunchy pretzels.

Moreover, it pairs so well with hearty soups such as my broccoli potato soup & dumpling stew.

Don't let this salad sit out at room temperature for too long. This way the salad will start to wilt & become unappetising.

📦 Storage

Side view of arugula salad topped off with tomatoes, mint & pomegranate.

If you're making this in advance:

Store the salad and the dressing separately.
Place them both in airtight containers.
Keep them both in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Drizzle with dressing before serving.

If you've already mixed the salad & the dressing:

Place in an airtight container.
Keep in the fridge and eat within 24 hours.

🥗 More Salads

If you're looking for more delicious salad recipes then you've come to the right place.

Got any questions? Get in touch via the comments section below. I'm always happy to help out and answer any questions you might have about rocca salad.

Made this rocca salad? I would SO appreciate it if you could leave a star rating below. This helps more readers find my blog and get a real-world feedback about my recipe.