Arugula Pesto And Avocado Salad

Name: Arugula Pesto And Avocado Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4

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This divine salad is inspired from the one on the menu at 4Leoni in Florence. Every time I go to Florence, I make a point to eat this salad, and then I make it at home for weeks after. There’s something really perfect about the combination of the pesto, buttery avocado, rich cheese and the peppery arugula. I added a bit of lemon to the dressing to give it a more vibrant quality.

4Leoni Arugula Salad At Home

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Servings

Prep Time

25 minutes

Image of Arugula Pesto And Avocado Salad

Ingredients

For The Pesto Dressing:

3 overflowing cups arugula
1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one large lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice, from one large lemon
1/4 cup pine nuts

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½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil

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1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

For The Salad:

Remaining arugula (roughly 4-5 cups) from a 10-ounce package
2 large ripe avocados, cut into ½” cubes
8 ounces Emmental cheese, or gruyere, cut into ½” cubes
Pine nuts, toasted, for topping

Instructions

To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using. You can also toast on a dry saute pan over medium heat, but be extra careful to not let it burn. Reserve a few pine nuts for topping the salad.
For the pesto dressing, add the arugula, lemon zest and juice, pine nuts and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until everything is chopped fine and combined. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add the Parmesan last, and pulse the blender just a few times until combined.
To assemble the salad, divide the remaining arugula into 4 serving bowls. Evenly top the bowls with avocado and emmental cheese. Divide the pesto evenly and top each bowl with the pesto. Top with pine nuts and serve.