Creamy Arugula Salad with Pistachios and Olives

During the recent Blue Apron/Hello Fresh epic week, we made a Blue Apron dish that had a very unique and satisfying side salad that caught our attention. It was only a side salad on this particular menu but we thought the salad really upstaged the main dish. The salad was interesting, unique, and a great mix of diverse ingredients. We saved the basic recipe and have made it a few times (both as a side and a dinner salad) since the first time. Personally, I'm still tweaking the recipe to get the right proportions but the basics are there.

One of the ingredients is roasted pistachios. I enjoy roasting my own pistachios. You can buy raw pistachios at higher end supermarkets. Roasting at home means you can control the amount of salt and you know they are freshly roasted. They keep in an airtight container for a good long time. Here are directions for roasting at home.

This salad is served already dressed. Which is a bit of a different approach to a typical weeknight side salad where each person grabs a bottle or carafe and dresses their own. But when serving a dressed salad, I've been learning the importance of getting your hands into the mix. Don't rely on salad tongs. When you use your hands, you are able to coat each leaf with dressing and the result is a more evenly distributed salad that has a consistent taste throughout.

Creamy Arugula Salad with Pistachios and Olives

Serves 2
Ingredients:

• Arugula - 2 handfuls
• Creme Fraiche - 2 tablespoons
• Castelvetrano olives - 10-12 olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• Roasted pistachios - 1/4 cup, roughly chopped
• White wine vinegar - 1-2 tbsp.
• Olive oil - to taste and texture
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Make the dressing in a bowl by combining the creme fraiche and the vinegar with a fork until mixed. 
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to mix and set aside.
• With the flat side of a knife, smash the olives and remove the pit. Roughly chop. 
• Roughly chop the pistachios
• In a large bowl, combine the arugula, pistachios, and olives and season with salt and pepper.
• Add enough dressing to coat the salad mixing by hand
• Let sit for a few minutes before plating the side dish

The pistachios and the olives tend to fall to the bottom, so when mixing by hand be sure to scrape the bottom and pick up the heavier ingredients and get them into the mix.