This simple spring salad with arugula, fresh peas and orange was inspired by Anne’s Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette over at A Salad for All Season. Anne recommended using the vinaigrette over a plate of greens or a side vegetable, so why not both in a salad. The flavors in the vinaigrette are a nice complement to this light salad with arugula, fresh peas, and orange topped with toasted sunflower seeds. (Yes, I forgot the sunflower seeds for the photos. Whoops!)
Its flavors and textures make this salad a nice side for just about any meal. We’ve had it with lamb chops, spicy smoked short ribs, and a Fennel-spiced Ham and Mushroom Pasta. It was a great complement for each of these entrees.
Just a note about the fresh peas … A favorite spring vegetables of mine is the sugar snap pea. Whenever I see sugar snaps at the market, I pick through them to get the snaps with the largest peas. Once home, we shuck them, and what peas we don’t eat right away, get added to many of our salads. They add a wonderful texture and a little sweetness in every bite.
Arugula, Fresh Peas, and Orange Salad
A beautiful spring salad with spring greens, late winter citrus and beautiful fresh sugar snap peas served with a delightful Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- A mix of arugula and butter leaf lettuce, torn or chopped* (~1 cup/serving)
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 scallions, green and white parts, chopped
- ½ cup shelled fresh peas, e.g., sugar snaps*
- 2 orange cuties*, divided in wedges, then halved
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sunflower seeds (not shown in photos)
- 1-2 tsp. honey or maple syrup*
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice – juice from half a lemon
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil*
- ¼ tsp. dried tarragon or ½ tsp. fresh, minced
- 1/8 tsp. dried mint or ¼ tsp. fresh, minced
- In a small skillet over medium-low heat, lightly toast the seeds by shaking the skillet and flipping the seeds. Once toasted, transfer seeds to a saucer and set aside.
- On one large plate or two separate salad plates, layer the greens, scallions, peas, celery, and citrus.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients (except the olive oil) for the vinaigrette. Once fully combined, whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust sweetness and acidity if needed*.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Top with the toasted sunflower seeds.
- Serve and enjoy.
Salad Greens – Any mix of salad greens can be used, just be sure there is a generous amount of arugula.
Fresh Peas – My favorite fresh peas are the overgrown sugar snaps, but you could use any edible fresh green pea.
Orange – Any type of oranges can be used; however, we usually use cuties, tangerines or Cara Cara.
Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette – The original recipe was slightly changed and reduced for ~1/4 cup, enough for 2 small salads
Honey or maple syrup – Start with 1 tsp., then once you’ve whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, taste and adjust the sweetness to your personal taste.
Olive Oil – Just like the sweetener, taste the dressing once you’ve whisked the dressing. If too acidic, add a little more oil. I usually ended using a little more than 2 Tbsp., but not quite 3.
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If you have enjoyed this arugula, fresh pea, and orange salad, then you’ll probably like these other spring and summer salads.
So pretty! Cheers
Love your dressing! We need more tarragon in our recipes. Love its bright and fresh taste.
Thanks! Anne and I both love tarragon and use it in a lot of different dishes. You should try her Peppered Tarragon Lemon Bread.
Such a nice and fresh salad! I love fruits on my leafy greens, it gives it a lot of life
Totally agree Raymund. Thanks!
What an unusual pair of ingredients but then again beauty can hide in the most unusual places!
Thanks so much Katerina!
Hi MJ.
I found this article quite interesting though conflicting. I have always loved my aragula on pizza btw is hunter leaves the same as aragula?. Where i am conflicted is in the use of orange and aragula.Not your fault, its my issue because i cannot imagine the two going together. Having said so i will try it out to see for myself the flavor profile BTW are you a follower on things related to which cookware cooks which food best?
Thanks Andy for your comment. Yes, arugula and orange are great complements to each other. You have the pepper bite of the arugula and the sweet acidic from the orange component. It works and I hope you give it a try. I too love arugula on pizza! Again, you have that acidic sweetness from the tomato sauce to complement it. 🙂 No, I am not a follower on cookware.
Oh what a lovely and unusualy salad. I never would have thought to pair fresh peas and oranges. Thanks for the inspiration. Fresh peas are the best.
Thank Evelyne! Who doesn’t love fresh peas? 🙂
The vinaigrette sounds wonderful and the salad is beautiful, as always! I think I never use herbs in my vinaigrettes…. though I do throw them into salads, of course! You have reminded me I wanted to grow tarragon on my balcony this year… I think I’ll have to buy a potted plant now, but maybe it’s perennial…. Thank you once more for inspiration!
Thanks Sissi! Yes, tarragon is a perennial. I’ve had my plant in a pot for over 5 years and it survives outside during the winter. Just be sure to get the French tarragon. About 20 years ago when we lived in the our other house, I bought Mexican tarragon. It tastes the same and looks the same when small, but it grows like a weed and it’s huge! Our tarragon stalks where over 4 feet tall! We had enough tarragon to supply the city of Albuquerque. 🙂
Thank you! Following your tip yesterday I went to a gardening shop and bout a beautiful pot with tarragon. Parsley, mint and chives survive winters on our balcony (and grow until November), so I hope tarragon will behave in a similar way. The pot is so crowded (as always), I’ll have four or five plants when I divide them this weekend! (Here strangely they sell either French or Russian tarragon ; for me they look both the same… but maybe the taste is different…. I’ve never seen Mexican tarragon though, I think).
That’s so cool!!! I hope you enjoy tarragon year round! It dries very easily and maintains it’s flavor in the dried state. YAY!
I love fresh peas too but they are not so easy to get. This salad looks wonderful, all ingredients I especially like, I will keep it in mind for the next time I get fresh peas.
Thanks Adina! Yeh, I can only find fresh peas in the spring, so I grab them when I see them. 🙂
I had a fresh pea salad when we were in Atlanta so I can being to imagine how good this was is with the oranges added to it.
Thanks so much Karen! I love the sweetness and crunch of fresh!
My little tarragon plant is ready for a trim and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with this lush vinaigrette! Scaling the recipe for two is genius!
Thanks Deb! I have to scale a lot of recipes to two since there has always been just the two of us. It have gotten quite easy over the years, especially salad dressings. This is a great use for tarragon!
Lighter and brighter is what we long for when spring begins to yield to summer ~ this would be just the right side for a grilled steak!
Perfect! A grilled steak and this salad – YUM! Thanks Judy!
Love the combination of flavors and colors here, M.J. I have some arugula left over from my last recipe. NEED to make this.
Thanks Debra! Hope you enjoy! I love arugula salads! Sounds like you do too. 🙂
So beautifully plated, MJ. I love salads all year round, this one looks so springy and delicious.
Thanks Angie!
This is such a lovely and fresh spring salad!
Thanks Amy!
Yum, this looks super healthy as well as being tasty. Liking the maple syrup addition to the vinaigrette too.
Thanks so much Anna! I love a little sweetener in my vinaigrette to balance the acidity. Honey and maple syrup are my two favorites.
That’s spring on a plate! Lovely combo of flavors, textures, and colors. This is gorgeous! And I’ll bet it tastes really, really good. 🙂 Inspired stuff — thanks.
Thanks so much John! It’s one of those salads that Bobby and I can’t seem to get enough of. 🙂