Arugula

Arugula, rocket and roquette

The names travel with the leaf: arugula is common in North American English, rocket in British English, and roquette in French. Salad rocket and the narrower, more deeply lobed wild rocket are related but not identical market forms. Labels vary, so let the leaf’s shape and flavor guide you.

Small young leaves tend to be tender and moderately peppery. Larger, older leaves usually bring more intensity and a firmer stem. That punch is an asset when the salad includes sweet fruit, rich cheese or warm grains.

Royal Horticultural Society: rocket

How to select arugula

Choose leaves that look dry, lively and evenly green. A little variation in size is fine; wet clumps, yellowed leaves, blackened edges or a sour smell signal decline. If buying bunches, check the center and stems, where moisture and bruising hide.

Baby arugula is the easy choice for a delicate salad. Mature leaves have more bite and stand up better to warm ingredients, grains and a brief wilt.

Wash with a light hand

Swish loose leaves in a bowl of cold water and lift them out so grit remains behind. Repeat if needed. Spin gently in small batches, then spread the leaves on a clean towel to finish drying. Arugula bruises more readily than romaine, and excess water both shortens its useful life and dilutes dressing.

Raw, finished or barely wilted

Leave baby arugula whole. On mature bunches, trim tough stem ends and tear very large leaves once or twice. For salad, toss at the last minute with just enough dressing to gloss the surface.

Use it as a finishing leaf on pizza, flatbreads, soup, pasta or roasted vegetables, where residual heat softens the leaves without erasing their character. To wilt deliberately, fold arugula into a hot pan or warm grains just until relaxed—usually less than a minute.

Keep it dry and uncompressed

Remove damaged leaves, wrap dry arugula loosely in a clean towel, and refrigerate it in a roomy container or partly open bag. If it was washed, dry it exceptionally well first. Check the towel and replace it if damp. Because the leaves are delicate, plan to use them promptly rather than expecting the endurance of kale or a whole lettuce head.

Dressings and ingredients that suit it

A bright Classic Vinaigrette is a natural fit. Lemon, sherry vinegar and balsamic also meet the leaf’s pepperiness without burying it; keep creamy dressings loose and use them sparingly.

Reasonable substitutes

Watercress offers a similarly peppery impression with juicier stems. Baby mustard greens bring more heat; mizuna is feathery and milder. Baby spinach matches tenderness but not arugula’s pepperiness. For a mixed salad, use tender lettuce and add a small amount of radicchio or mustard leaf to restore some edge.