Arugula Salad With Radish, Fennel and Mustard

By David Tanis

Published February 4, 2025

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(81)
Comments
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This zesty arugula salad is a bold beginning to a meal. Use a sharp knife or mandoline to cut the watermelon radish and fennel bulb so they’re just shy of paper thin. When dressing the salad, try to bring some of those bright, colorful slices to the top for an especially attractive result.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1 shallot, finely diced

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

  • 2 teaspoons strong Dijon mustard

  • 3 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and very thinly sliced

  • 1 small watermelon radish, peeled, very thinly sliced

  • 5 ounces sturdy or wild arugula

  • 3 large eggs, boiled 7 minutes, chilled and shelled (optional)

  • 6 small red radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced

  • 1 (1-inch) chunk of peeled horseradish, for grating (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

6 grams carbs; 93 milligrams cholesterol; 134 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 263 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the dressing: Put the shallot in a small bowl or small jar with a lid, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice, zest and vinegar, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add mustards and stir to dissolve. Add olive oil, and whisk (or cover and shake if making in the small jar).

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the salad: Put sliced fennel and watermelon radish in a salad bowl or on a large platter. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dress lightly with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Add arugula and toss well, keeping some of the slices on top. Add more dressing to taste, but don’t overdress. Add a pinch of salt and toss again.

  3. Step 3

    If using the eggs, cut them in half, give them a speck of salt and arrange over the salad. Garnish with red radishes and grate a little horseradish over the salad, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
81 user ratings
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Comments

Paulette

I have enjoyed cooking for years, but there is one direction that frustrates me. One shallot.. Shallots come in many sizes from gargantuan to very small french shallots. Can you please direct with ..one medium shallot ,one large shallot etc. Please .

Hanne

Even better: Weight.

JK

For a bigger meal, cook spelt or barley and add to salad. Also paired this with the slow cooked salmon recipe

Emily

Topped this with some "roasted salmon glazed with brown sugar and mustard"- such a delicious pairing for some extra protein!

Ilana

Honestly surprised at how good this was! For the dressing, I used half of a medium sized shallot and a little bit of honey (as others have suggested). It ended up being perfect.

A B

Served with reverse seared steak and chips. Excellent.

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