This vegan arugula salad is the most flavorful and fresh side dish! It's loaded with spicy arugula, juicy grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy avocado chunks tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. This vegan side dish is easy to make and it's ready in 20 minutes!
I try to work fresh greens into every meal. I make vegan pork tacos with romaine lettuce, burrito bowls with spinach, and black-eyed pea soup with collard greens. I do like to top quinoa crust pizza with baby arugula, but besides that, arugula isn't my favorite green to eat plain because it tastes pretty spicy.
However, arugula is so good in this vegan arugula avocado tomato salad because the spicy flavor is perfectly balanced by the sweet and juicy grape tomatoes, creamy chunks of avocado, and the tangy balsamic dressing. It's the most delicious combination and makes a great side dish to serve with almost any main course!
Step by Step Instructions
Put the arugula and fresh basil into a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced tomatoes, avocado chunks, and minced red onion to the bowl. Toss to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to coat everything in the dressing.
What Goes With It?
This vegan arugula salad is the perfect light and healthy side dish to serve with any of the following recipes:
- Hummus Quesadillas
- High-Protein Vegan Burritos
- Yellow Thai Cauliflower Lentil Curry
- Split Pea Potato Soup
- Vegan TTLA Sandwiches
How Long Does It Last In The Refrigerator?
This vegan arugula avocado salad is best served fresh as soon as it's made. Once the salad is dressed, the arugula will start to wilt after a little bit. You can keep leftovers in the fridge, but the texture won't be the same the next day.
I like to make the arugula salad right before I'm ready to serve dinner so it's fresh and crisp. If you need to, you can put the arugula, tomatoes, and red onions in a large bowl and keep it in the fridge. Wait to dress the salad and add the avocado until you're ready to serve so the avocado doesn't turn brown.
Recipe Variations
You can enjoy this salad as a side dish, or you can switch it up in any of the following ways:
- Add Plant-Based Protein: Add more protein to the salad by adding baked tofu cubes, chickpeas, or great northern beans.
- Mix it with Pasta or Quinoa: Make this salad a substantial meal by mixing it with 8 oz of cooked fusilli pasta or 1 cup of cooked quinoa. If you decide to do this, double the dressing so you'll have enough to coat everything.
- Add Roasted Vegetables: Work even more veggies into your diet by adding (one small head) roasted cauliflower florets or top the salad with roasted cauliflower steaks.
- Make it Crunchy: Chop one large cucumber into chunks and mix it into the vegan arugula avocado salad to give it a little crunch and more texture.
Substitutions & FAQ
- Arugula Substitutions: You could use fresh spinach or massaged thinly sliced kale instead of the arugula.
- Tomato Options: Instead of grape tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes or vine-ripened, Roma, beefsteak, or heirloom tomatoes that are cut into bite-sized chunks.
- Red Onion Substitutions: If the red onion is too strong for your taste, you can substitute sliced green onions or chives for a more mild onion flavor.
- Can I Freeze it? No, this vegan arugula salad recipe doesn't freeze well. The tomatoes and arugula don't freeze and defrost well. It would be very soft and mushy.
- How to Slice Tomatoes Quickly? Instead of slicing each tomato one by one, try this to save time. Put a large plate on the counter, fill the plate with one layer of grape tomatoes, and then put the second plate on top of the tomatoes (like you would stack it in the cabinet). Then take a very sharp knife and run it between the two plates to cut all the tomatoes at once.
Success Tips
- Roughly chop the arugula so everything in the salad is bite-sized and easier to eat.
- You need to use avocados that are slightly firm with just a little bit of give when you press them, for this salad. If the avocado is soft enough for guacamole then it's too ripe for this dish. You need the avocado to keep its shape when you toss it in the salad.
- If you only have avocados that are a little soft, dice them and top the salad with them instead of mixing them into the salad. This way, the avocado won't break down and get too mushy in the salad once you toss it.
- If you're making this vegan arugula salad to bring to a dinner or potluck, wait until you serve to add the avocado. If you add the avocado chunks too early, they will turn start to turn brown. If you have to add the avocado early, you can drizzle a little bit of lemon juice over the avocado chunks to stop them from turning brown right away.
- If you have any leftover arugula avocado salad, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The salad won't be as fresh the next day, but it's still edible. You could add a little bit of fresh arugula to the leftovers to spruce it up when you're ready to eat it.
Want More Vegan Tomato Recipes?
Pesto Spinach Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomato Caprese Sandwich
Vegan Arugula Avocado Tomato Salad
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
Arugula Salad
- 5 oz baby arugula roughly chopped
- 6 large basil leaves thinly sliced
- 1 pint yellow grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 pint red grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 large avocados cut into chunks
- ½ cup red onion minced
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- ¼ tsp himalayan pink sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Put the roughly chopped arugula and sliced basil leaves into a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced grape tomatoes, avocado chunks, and minced red onion to the bowl. Toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper until well combined.
- Pour the balsamic dressing over the salad. Gently mix the salad until the dressing has been evenly distributed and then transfer the salad to a large platter.
Notes
- Roughly chop the arugula so everything in the salad is bite-sized and easier to eat.
- If you're making this vegan arugula salad to bring to a dinner or potluck, wait until you serve to add the avocado. If you add the avocado chunks too early, they will turn start to turn brown. If you have to add the avocado early, you can drizzle a little bit of lemon juice over the avocado chunks to stop them from turning brown right away.
- You need to use avocados that are firm with just a little bit of give when you press them, for this salad. If the avocado is soft enough for guacamole then it's too ripe for this dish. You need the avocado to keep its shape when you toss it in the salad.
- If you only have avocados that are a little soft, dice them and top the salad with them instead of mixing them into the salad. This way, the avocado won't break down and get too mushy in the salad once you toss it.
- If you have any leftover arugula salad, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The salad won't be as fresh the next day, but it's still edible. You could add a little bit of fresh arugula to the leftovers to spruce it up when you're ready to eat it.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 2/22/18, but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 7/23/20.
Easy delicious salad. My entire family liked it.
Great recipe and suggestions for variations. Just want to recommend the use of white balsamic when adding avocados. They'll be less likely to brown.
I love this salad, I leave out balsamic vinaigrette , salt and maple syrup.
Just made this with spinach. Absolutely delicious! Thank you
That's a great idea to add spinach, Divina! So happy you enjoyed the recipe =)
We made it today and it was delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I'm so happy you enjoyed the tomato salad, Maria! Thank you for letting me know =)