Arugula and Blistered Tomato Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Jul 14, 2022, Updated Jul 30, 2024
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This is the kind of salad that surprises you. It’s warm and juicy in all the right places, with peppery arugula, creamy white beans, and blistered cherry tomatoes that bring a pop of flavor to every bite. The creamy balsamic dressing is tangy, rich, and beautifully balanced by the earthiness of fresh thyme.
It’s quick to make, super satisfying, and a delicious way to use up any cherry tomatoes that are nearing the end of their prime. I like to serve this on its own for lunch, or as a bright and punchy side alongside grilled steak or roast chicken. Either way, it’s a no-fuss recipe that tastes far fancier than the effort it takes.
Table of Contents
😍 Why You’ll Love My Arugula and Blistered Tomato Salad
You’re going to love this one. It’s quick — we’re talking 15 minutes, start to finish — and the flavors are out of this world. Sweet, jammy blistered tomatoes meet peppery arugula, creamy white beans, and a dressing that’s so good, you’ll want to drink it. This creamy balsamic is rich and tangy with just enough bite from the Dijon and garlic, and it comes together in a blender in seconds. It’s the kind of salad that feels a little fancy, but couldn’t be easier to throw together. I love it for lunch on its own or as a side with something grilled — steak, chicken, even portobellos. And if you’ve got tomatoes on the edge of going soft, this is how to use them. It’s hearty, fresh, and endlessly riffable. My kind of meal.
🗒️ Ingredients
Arugula – Fresh, peppery, and the perfect base for soaking up all that dressing.
Cherry tomatoes – Quickly blistered in olive oil to intensify their sweetness and add depth.
White beans – Creamy and mild, they add body and fiber to make this salad more filling.
Shallot – Thinly sliced for a bit of sharpness and crunch.
Truffle salt (optional) – For a finishing touch of luxe, if you have it
Garlic + Dijon mustard – Flavor boosters that balance the creaminess.
Balsamic vinegar + olive oil – A classic duo that forms the tangy base.
Mayonnaise – Makes the dressing thick and luscious.
Fresh thyme – Adds an herbal lift (can be swapped or omitted if needed).
Sea salt + black pepper – To season everything just right.
👩🍳 How to Make My Arugula and Blistered Tomato Salad
🔥 Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cherry tomatoes and let them cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until they start to blister. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the skins begin to burst and char. Set aside.
🥬 Add arugula to a large serving bowl. Layer on the white beans, sliced shallot, and warm blistered tomatoes.
🥄 Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
🧂 Drizzle the salad generously with creamy balsamic dressing. Finish with a pinch of truffle salt, if using.
🥳 Enjoy!
🎩 Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook the tomatoes — a quick blister is all you need.
- Use a salad spinner for your greens to make sure the dressing clings well.
- Double the dressing and keep it in the fridge for later in the week — it’s great on roasted vegetables too.
🌟 Variations
Want to make it your own? Try these ideas:
- Add quinoa for a more protein-packed grain bowl-style salad.
- Swap in Tuscan kale or Swiss chard if arugula isn’t your favorite.
- Toss in a few toasted pine nuts or walnuts for extra crunch.
🤲 Substitutions
- If arugula isn’t your thing, Tuscan kale and swiss chard are good swaps.
- I love the creaminess of white beans in this salad, if you don’t care for them swap in chickpeas. You can also simply leave them off for a lighter salad.
- If you like grains in your salads, quinoa is a good add in this and will soak up the delicious dressing nicely.
- Fresh thyme is called for in the dressing. If you don’t have any, you can omit it or use half the amount of dried without a substantial change to the flavor.
- I list truffle salt here as an optional finisher to this salad. It is absolutely optional, but adds such a nice touch to the salad so go ahead and skip this step if you can’t get your hands on some.
📓 Best served with
- Grilled steak or chicken
- Toasted sourdough or garlic bread
- Roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash
- A glass of chilled rosé or sparkling water with lemon
👝 How to Store Leftovers
You can store the undressed components in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days — just add the dressing right before serving to keep the arugula from wilting and the tomatoes at their best. It’s a great one to prep ahead for lunches or easy dinners throughout the week.
🧠 Common Questions
Fresh is best for blistering, but you could roast grape tomatoes in the oven in a pinch.
Use a dairy-free mayo in the dressing. The salad itself is already naturally dairy-free if you skip the optional truffle salt with cheese notes.
Yes! Keep the dressing and salad components separate until ready to eat.
High heat and minimal movement — let them sit undisturbed to char, then shake or stir gently.
Absolutely. Try baby spinach, massaged kale, or a spring mix.
Arugula and Blistered Tomato Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
Arugula + Blistered Tomato Salad:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups cherry Tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 6-8 cups arugula, washed and spun dry
- 1 15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large shallot, sliced thin
- Truffle salt, optional, for finishing
Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and let them sit in the pan for 1-2 minutes to start blistering.
- Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and shake the pan back and forth to coat tomatoes. Continue to cook 3-5 minutes until skin starts to shrink and tomatoes are charred on all sides.
- Reserve.
- Add arugula to a large serving bowl.
- Add white beans, shallot, and blistered tomatoes to the arugula.
- Drizzle with the creamy balsamic dressing and finish with a large pinch of truffle salt, if using.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great salad. Tastes great and is very easy to whip up. I paired it with grilled shrimp for some more protein. It doesn’t keep well as leftovers though. The arugula gets very wilty and is just not as pleasant to eat the next day. Recommend only preparing as much as you’ll eat in that sitting. If you have extras just keep the arugula separate from the rest until ready to eat the next day.
Such great tips, Diana! Thank you for sharing! Also, shrimp sounds like a great addition – delicious!
Kat.
Looks delicious but before I make I have one question – How long will this dressing keep in the refrigerator? Thank you!
Roughly 5 days!
Let me know if you give it a try, Stacy!
Kat.
This salad is fantastic for meal prep! I double everything and put the salad dressing in the bottom of 5-6 wide mouth mason jars. Be sure to let the tomatoes cool! One jar serves two people and they stay fresh till at least Day 5; we’ve never made it past that!
Yummy! I had to sub out lemon juice for balsamic vinegar, which made a delicious dressing with a touch of honey. (Didn’t have any, balsamic vinegar, plus my roommate has an aversion to bv…but I really want to try it sometime with the bv). Doubled up the white beans to bump up the protein (and the ratio was great). I can’t do truffle anything but extra salt and pepper worked well. Thanks for another delicious salad!!
As long as you have that acid in there, the dressing will still taste delicious! I am quite partial to balsamic vinegar myself though, so definitely give it a try sometime!
Enjoy,
Kat.
Fabulous, quick and easy salad. I used it for my food prep this week. It made five mason jars. I added an additional can of white beans and a little romaine. The dressing makes plenty for five mason jars, maybe even six.
Tera,
This would be the perfect meal prep salad – I’m so glad you loved it!
Enjoy!
Kat.
This salad was so delicious and easy I am making it again this week!
This is music to my ears, Kathleen. So thrilled you love it!
Kat
I love your salads- so first of all, thank you! Unfortunately I have a terrible mayo aversion. Anything I can use in its place? Thanks!
Kerry,
Youโre so welcome! Iโm so glad you love them.
You could try swapping the mayo for sour cream, or even Greek yogurt to keep the dressing creamy.
Enjoy!
Kat.
Delicious but the Argula only was intense. Iโll be mixing it with other leafy greens next time
Erica,
Definitely make this salad your own. Arugula can bring a tartness to a salad that can be overpowering for some (youโre not alone). Iโd love to hear what you swap it with when you make it again.
Enjoy!
Kat.
This salad is so light and fresh I absolutely love it! I added a little honey to the dressing to make it a honey balsamic vinaigrette. How long can I keep this in my fridge for?
Kaylin,
The addition of honey sounds phenomenal. So glad you found a way you love to eat this salad.
I would recommend up to 3 days, if it lasts that long without being eaten that is!
Enjoy!
Kat.
Just made this for meal prepping my lunches this weekโฆ so good! I had to use dry thyme but still the dressing was very good. It was very punchy and acidic, which I really enjoy. My favorite was the blistered tomatoes with the shallots. I will definitely make this again.
Kimberly,
Iโm so glad you loved it.
Enjoy!
Kat.