Ingredients
- 1 large avocado
- 8 oz 225 grams cherry tomatoes
- 3 oz 85 grams arugula (rocket)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice from about half a lemon and (optionally) the zest from the lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing by whisking together the mustard, lemon juice, (optional) lemon zest, dried oregano, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and olive oil.
- Add the cherry tomatoes (halved) to the bowl with the salad dressing and then add the chopped avocado, (optionally toasted) chopped pecans, and arugula.
- Just before serving, toss everything together. Taste it and, if needed, add more salt and pepper.
Notes
Pecans – You can easily substitute these with your favorite nuts. Walnuts come closest in flavor profile to pecans. But you can also use other nuts like hazelnuts, sliced almonds, or pistachios. You can also use seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. The nuts and seeds add a needed element of crunch to the salad. If you’re just looking to add crunch, you could also use croutons.
Toasting the nuts: to enhance the flavor of the nuts, toast them and cool them down before adding them to the salad. To toast them, simply put a dry pan over medium heat, and add the nuts to the pan, toasting them for a few minutes and tossing them occasionally so they don’t burn.
Tomatoes – You can also use other tomatoes like grape tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, or heirloom tomatoes. Make sure the tomatoes you’re using are flavorful! The tomatoes can make all the difference in this salad. Avoid using watery tasteless tomatoes as those won’t work well in this recipe.
Lemon – Instead of lemon, you could also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Oregano – Instead of dried oregano, you could use dried marjoram, dried Italian seasoning, or dried Herbes de Provence (the same quantity as the dried oregano called for in the recipe). You could also use fresh herbs instead like fresh oregano, fresh parsley, or fresh thyme. If using fresh herbs like oregano, parsley, or thyme, use about 1 and 1/2 tsp of chopped fresh herbs.
Mustard – Instead of Dijon mustard, you could also use honey mustard (which will add a touch of pleasant sweetness).