Arugula Beans Salad topped with creamy avocado dressing is a simple yet delicious HEALTHY meal. This salad is full of gut-healthy dietary fibers, plant-based proteins, and heart-healthy healthy fats. It's the perfect light lunch or easy healthy dinner.
I LOVEEEEE green leafy salads. When spring comes, I can't wait to fill my plate with freshly picked greens from the farmers market. One of my favorite spring greenies is arugula. It tastes bitter and slightly peppery, and it goes very well with so many dishes.
I use arugula for making salads, of course, but also for making sandwiches. I put it on a pizza. I make arugula pesto... and sometimes I eat a pinch, unseasoned, with a piece of cheese, straight from the refrigerator. It's a great snack!
Did you know you can grow arugula around your house? .. On your kitchen window. I had no luck in growing my own arugula... the same as with growing basil. I'm just not good at all that planting and growing stuff ... although I would love to have my own garden and grow things.
Arugula is sooo HEALTHY. It's an incredible veggie. It's rich in vitamins A, C, K and folic acid, but also contains a lot of important minerals - calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. Like most green vegetables, arugula is loaded with antioxidants and is known for being an excellent liver cleanser that's why arugula is used for the spring detox.
I remember, as a kid, how I used to spend my spring school breaks at my grandma's old house in Zagorje (a part of Croatian northwest County). We loved to go for a walk around the countryside and scooped wild arugula that was growing around on beautiful green fields. Now I can't wait for first fresh picked arugula to appear on the local farmers market. It always reminds me of my childhood.
Anyway, Arugula Beans Salad is my grandma's favorite spring salad. And my too. This salad always brings wonderful childhood memories. That's why I decided to upgrade grandmother's classic arugula salad which I ate as a kid. I decided to make it more nutritious and super healthy adding AVOCADO.
To make this salad I used fresh young arugula, cooked brown beans, and purple onion. I also added some cherry tomatoes and freshly grated carrot.
Mild flavored purple onion, peppery arugula and soft beans, combined with crisp, fresh carrots and juicy tomatoes have turned this Arugula Beans Salad into a real delight. You can easily replace brown beans with red or white beans if you prefer. Note that red beans are more nutritious than brown beans. It has more proteins and calories, while white beans are totally low -calorie but contains fewer proteins and fibers.
My grandma used a simple dressing made of olive oil, vinegar, and salt to spice up her salads. I've decided to take this Arugula Beans Salad into a new era. So I made the creamy dressing with avocado, lemon, and Greek yogurt. It's like HEALTHY mayo.
This avocado dressing enriched the Arugula Beans Salad with healthy nutrients and made it irresistibly light and just perfect. You can store this avo dressing in a jar with a good lid and keep refrigerated up to few days. I use avo dressing for my sandwiches and as a spread for my toasts.
Arugula Beans Salad is ...
- full of high-quality dietary fibers that promote good digestion and weight loss,
- rich in plant-based proteins,
- rich in healthy fats,
- rich in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B and iron,
- rich in antioxidants that protect our body and support the immune system,
- gluten-free and vegetarian,
- perfect office lunch or a light dinner,
- requires only a 5 simple ingredients and it's super easy to make.
Don't let the looks and sounds of this simple salad fool you. It's a complete, well-balanced meal. This Arugula Beans Salad contains all your body needs - proteins, healthy fats and lots of healthy fibers that will make you well fed and keep you full for hours.
You can prepare all ingredients ahead and put the salad into a glass jars and keep in your fridge. It's a GREAT quick grab-and-go meal or office lunch.
Enjoy!
Arugula Beans Salad with Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 cup brown beans cooked and drained
- 8 cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ purple onion to taste
- ½ cup carrots freshly grated
Avocado dressing
- 1 avocado
- 2-4 tablespoon lemon juice to taste
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Himalayan salt to taste
- Peper to taste
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, beans, red onion, tomatoes and grated carrots.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Serve.
Avocado Dressing
- In a blender, whisk together avocado, lemon juice, olive oil and Greek yogurt until smooth and combined. Season with cumin, salt and pepper, to taste.
Nutrition
These are my recommendation for this recipe:
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Angie says
I love the simplicity of this recipe, but the complex flavors of the dressing. Gorgeous and beautifully healthy!
Natalie says
Thank you so much Angie :)
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
I love how nice and simple this is to make. I'm not sure what you mean by brown beans, might they go by another name?
Natalie says
Thanks! I'm glad you like it :) We call it brown beans here in Mediterranean, it's very common here. It has very soft buttery texture. It's similar to Red Kidney Beans and can be substituted with it in this salad.
mira says
I love arugula and beans are the perfect addition to this salad. Looks delicious. Can't wait to try it with the avocado dressing !
Natalie says
Thanks Mira. I agree. Beans and arugula goes perfectly together :)