Arugula and Roasted Pepper Salad

I recently busted out of a months-long salad rut with this delicious arugula and roasted pepper salad. It features spicy arugula, tangy roasted peppers, salty feta, toasty pine nuts, and a simple+easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It makes a great side salad that goes with just about any meal!

Roasted Peppers: Summer in a Jar

Flavor balance makes this recipe work, and that started with the inspiration to pair arugula with jarred roasted peppers. They are predominantly tangy and sweet, and also slightly smoky. It’s a big enough flavor to stand up to arugula, which is a stronger-tasting green than, say, romaine. Peppers also add a bit of summery brightness, and I can’t wait to make this salad with bell peppers straight off the grill.

Roasted peppers are a condiment that a lot of foodies know well, but I think they should be in every home cook's repertoire. They are as versatile as they are delicious! I use them on salads, sandwiches, burgers, in hummus...you get the picture. I recently discovered these Red and Yellow Peppers from Cento, which are so good I’ve been going through a jar a week! Safeway’s Signature brand also has grilled bell peppers that I’ve used in this salad. They are more smoky than tangy, and just as yummy.

Whichever brand you use, be sure to drain them well and handle them gently before tossing them in your salad.

How to make a simple homemade vinaigrette

Sharing this arugula and grilled pepper salad recipe also gives me the opportunity to talk about homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I’ve made almost all of my own dressings for a decade now. I don’t remember why I started doing that, but I haven’t gone back to store-bought vinaigrette. I don’t even think about it anymore, it’s so easy! 

Here are some tips for a perfect homemade vinaigrette:

• Make only as much as you need, directly in your salad bowl. I used to keep jars of vinaigrette in the refrigerator, but I’d end up with separated dressing and coagulated oil. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it wasn’t a perfect system either. Now I whip up a couple of tablespoons of vinaigrette directly in the bowl before I assemble the salad.
• Add an emulsifier. An emulsifier helps keep your vinaigrette from separating once you’ve whisked it together. Possible emulsifiers include a dab of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, roasted garlic, or a splash of honey or maple syrup. In this recipe, I use Dijon mustard. You need just a touch, which isn't enough to make the finished product taste mustard-y. I love the bit of extra creaminess and tang it gives the dressing, in addition to holding it together.
• Keep a whisk handy just for vinaigrette. I keep a whisk in the bin of oils and vinegars in my pantry, so it’s always available for dressing. I use a Scandinavian-style whisk that looks like this.
• A great balsamic vinegar is a game changer! I am really, really loving De Nigris vinegars right now. Their bold and fruity balsamic vinegar has a great balance, not too sharp and not too sweet. I find De Nigris vinegars at both my Cost Plus Worldmarket and at our local Safeway.

Dress your salad at the last possible moment

Arugula breaks down really quickly once it’s tossed with vinaigrette. I recommend tossing the vegetables in the dressing to marinate, then adding the arugula and feta at the last moment before you eat. 

All of the ingredients for this dish can be prepared several hours or up to a day ahead of serving. Assemble and toss together just before your meal.