Arugula Salad

chicken, feta, pine nuts, cucumbers & strawberries

Imagine my delight when I discovered the 10-ounce container of arugula at Costco this week. It’s my favorite salad green - nutty, peppery, and much heartier than wilty spinach, which I also like very much. You can easily swap it for the arugula if you aren’t as enamored with it as I am. Or any salad green for that matter. But then it wouldn’t be an arugula salad, would it?

I was also thrilled that the total of my ingredients came to $3.42 when I broke them down. Looking at local menus online, I would pay $16 - $22 for a similar salad at a restaurant. You can scroll to the bottom to view the breakdown, which is specific to the amount used in the recipe. Of course, prices will vary, but for reference, I shopped at Costco in Bend, Oregon.

Ingredients

(Makes one large salad for one serving or two small servings)

a large handful of arugula (approximately 1 ounce)

1 tablespoon pine nuts

3.5 ounces grilled chicken breast (or cooked any style)

2 large strawberries

1 mini cucumber or ⅓ of a large English cucumber

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (regular or flavored, like raspberry or fig)

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher or sea salt

black pepper

2 tablespoons feta (about ½ ounce)

Begin by toasting the pine nuts.

I keep mine in the freezer because, with their high fat content, they tend to go rancid quickly in the pantry. They may seem expensive (I always get a little sticker shock, even at Costco), but a small amount goes a long way. In this recipe, for instance, they account for only thirty-eight cents.

Focus all your attention on them during the toasting process. It only takes 2 -3 minutes total (even from frozen), and they burn very quickly if you turn away due to the oil they release.

Place them in a dry sauté pan over medium heat and toss them with a spatula almost constantly until they become golden brown. As soon as they do, transfer them to a plate or bowl to cool and stop the cooking process; otherwise, they might burn, even with the heat off. The video is sped up but shows the color you want for ultimate flavor.

Next, chop up your chicken, strawberries, and cucumber.

Place the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a large enough bowl to toss the salad, along with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Whisk until the dressing begins to thicken slightly (emulsify).

This is my go-to method of making dressing. It’s fast, and I don’t have to keep bottles of it in my fridge. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, you can use white or apple cider vinegar and add a little honey for sweetness. Citrus juice works too.

Place the arugula on top of the dressing and toss in the feta, chicken, strawberries, cucumbers, and pine nuts.

Enjoy!

Organic arugula - .46, Pine nuts - .38, Organic Chicken breast - 1.40, Organic Strawberries - .40, Cucumber - .29, Organic Olive Oil - .14, Balsamic vinegar - .15, Feta - .20

Total $3.42

Please leave a comment if you have any questions or feedback about this recipe. Also, let me know what recipes you’d like to see in future posts. Thank you!