Arugula is a common ingredient that is used in salads, soups, and sandwiches. The peppery taste of arugula makes it a unique ingredient. This leafy vegetable can be eaten raw and cooked. Adding arugula to your daily meal makes you fit and healthy. If you are cooking a recipe that only requires arugula and you don’t have it at the moment, you can use arugula substitutes instead.
Before using any alternative to arugula, make sure you know about this leafy vegetable so that you can choose the best one for you.
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What are Arugula Leaves?
Arugula is a leafy herb that contains lots of minerals and vitamins. It is known for its bitter and peppery taste. Arugula is a perfect ingredient in salads, soups, and sandwiches. Another name of arugula is “rocket”. Arugula has several health benefits that we have mentioned down here.
Nutrient Profile of Arugula Leaves:
- Fat: 0.7 grams
- Carbs: 3.7 grams
- Sodium: 27 milligrams
- Protein: 2.6 grams
- Calcium
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Folate
- Potassium
- Magnesium
Health Benefits of Arugula Leaves:
- Arugula improves eye health.
- It may help to reduce the risk of cancer.
- Arugula helps to control blood pressure.
- It also helps to prevent diabetes.
- Arugula is a great detoxifier.
What is a Good Substitute for Arugula?
If you are making soups, salads, and sandwiches and you don’t have arugula, you can use its substitutes. This leafy vegetable has lots of alternatives that you can use without ruining your dish/recipe. We have listed all of them right here, you can choose according to what you have in the kitchen/pantry/refrigerator. These substitutes for arugula add almost similar taste and lots of nutrients.
1. Purslane:
Purslane is a dark green leafy vegetable but not as leafy as an arugula. You can either eat it raw or cooked. When you eat purslane raw, it may remind you of the taste of spinach or watercress due to its slight sourness and saltiness. Just like arugula, purslane works well with raw and cooked dishes/recipes such as soups, salads, and stews.
It’s a great arugula replacement when you are looking for a flavor substitute. The flavor profile of purslane is very similar to arugula but has a different texture. If you don’t mind having a different texture of purslane, you can easily use it as a substitute for arugula.
2. Dandelion Greens:
Dandelion Greens look similar to the arugula in appearance. When it comes to taste, it has a bitter and almost tangy taste. It doesn’t taste peppery at all like arugula. The younger leaves are slightly tangy and the older ones are bitter in taste. You should choose the younger ones for eating raw in a salad. If you are cooking a recipe then you can choose older ones so that their bitterness will be less when cooked.
3. Frisée:
Frisee belongs to the chicory family. This is another green leafy alternative to arugula that you can use in a recipe. Frisee has thin pale green leaves which are crunchy when eaten raw. Any leafy vegetable belonging to the chicory family tastes bitter. Likewise, Frisee has a bitter taste along with some peppery notes. Frisee works well with salad and sandwich recipes in place of arugula. If you don’t like the bitterness of Frisee, you should choose a paler frisée which is less bitter than greens.
4. Mache:
Mache is a weedy plant that is native to Europe. It is also known as lamb’s lettuce, nut lettuce, corn salad, and even rapunzel. This is also used as salad green having a tangy and bitter flavor. The small, flat, rounder leaves of mache resemble spinach and have a similar mild flavor. You can use mache in any recipe that calls for arugula, but keep in mind mache shouldn’t be cooked due to having delicate leaves otherwise, it will ruin your whole recipe.
5. Baby Spinach:
Baby Spinach contains all nutritional values similar to normal spinach but the size is not similar. Baby Spinach can be used in many recipes such as pesto soup, pizza, salads, and sandwiches. Due to having similar nutrients to arugula, it works really well with other ingredients.
6. Watercress:
Watercress has become very popular in the last decade. This small leafy vegetable has a peppery flavor with slightly bitter notes. Watercress has a closer appearance to arugula as compared to spinach. It contains almost similar nutrients. You can eat it raw or cooked like arugula. Watercress is an ideal arugula replacement in pesto, salads, and sandwiches as well as it can be blended well in soups recipes.
7. Escarole:
Escarole is another vegetable that belongs to the chicory family. Escarole looks similar to the head of lettuce. It has stronger leaves than lettuce and frisee. Both color and texture of the escarole leaves depend on the side of the escarole. The outer side of escarole leaves is darker in color as well as hard to touch whereas the inner side is pale green in color and feels soft. The milder taste of Escarole in soups, stews, and salads makes it a good alternative to arugula.
8. Radicchio:
Radicchio is another member of the chicory family. If you want bold color as well as bold bitter and peppery flavor, radicchio goes well with the recipe in place of arugula. The leaves of radicchio resemble the shape of lettuce. You can use radicchio in stir-fries, soup, salad, sandwiches & burgers.
The taste of radicchio enhances when it is cooked. Don’t cook it under high heat otherwise, you’ll end up having a milder taste of radicchio.
9. Baby Kale:
Baby Kale is a leafy green vegetable that is harvested before its complete growth. This vegetable contains vitamins A, C, and K and adds an earthy flavor to your salad. Baby Kale is a perfect substitute for baby spinach in salads. If you love the crunchiness, freshness, and peppery taste of arugula, baby kale can also bring you that but a bit less. Matured Kale is tougher but great in soups. Whereas baby kale goes well with pizza, pasta toppings, soups, and stir-fries.
10. Endive:
Endive belongs to the chicory family. It resembles the texture of cabbage. The crunchy texture and bitterness make it a good arugula alternative in salads, soups, and sandwiches. Besides its bitterness, it offers a tangy flavor. When you cook endive, the bitterness mellows down and controls the flavors of ingredients used in a recipe.
Endive works well in soups because it holds up the same texture and doesn’t become too mushy under heat. Enjoy this crunchy substitute for arugula on your next dinner treat.
11. Basil:
Basil is an incredible herb. It has some medicinal properties. Basil has a mildly pungent flavor as well as a slight pepper flavor. It adds the freshness +652 of mint and a hint of sweetness to a recipe/dish. Those who are making pesto and looking for an arugula substitute can use basil instead. Basil goes well with soups, salads, and pizza.
12. Romaine Lettuce:
Romaine Lettuce doesn’t have that peppery flavor you get from the arugula. Still, it’s a versatile substitute you may see in salad recipes. Aside from salad and sandwiches, Romaine Lettuce can be used as a pizza topping. Lettuce contains low calories and lots of fiber content. That’s why it’s beneficial in low-cholesterol diets.
13. Cabbage:
Cabbage is a crunchy and leafy vegetable. Cabbage can be eaten raw and cooked through various methods such as boiled, sauteed, and fried. This leafy vegetable is easily available in the market and has many different colors that help to make your salad bowl colorful. It doesn’t have the same flavor profile as arugula. If you don’t like the overpowering taste of arugula, you can use cabbage instead.
Cabbage is a good alternative for those too who don’t like the taste of spinach has lots of nutrients. Cabbage pairs well with soup and stews. It’s perfect to eat raw like coleslaw because it has an unpleasant smell when cooked.
14. Nasturtium Leaves:
Nasturtium leaves are also known as Indian cress which is another substitute for arugula. The taste of nasturtium leaves is similar to watercress. It may look not edible due to having normal plant leaves but it’s one of the healthiest leafy vegetables that you can use in a recipe/dish. These leaves are high in vitamin C which improves our immune system and fights against bacteria and viruses.
15. Radish Sprouts:
Radish sprouts and watercress belongs to the same family. Radish greens are peppery in taste like arugula whereas radish sprouts are milder. They don’t have any hint of bitterness like arugula. These greens can be found in almost any salad. Using radish sprouts in a salmon wrap helps to mask the fishy taste and increase the sweetness of salmon.
16. Bok Choy:
Bok Choy is also another leafy vegetable. It is also known as Chinese cabbage. It is milder in flavor than regular cabbage and can be used in those recipes that call for arugula. If you are looking for a mild flavor vegetable having a similar nutrient profile, you should use Bok Choy at least once.
FAQ:
What is the best way to eat arugula?
As you know that arugula can be eaten raw or cooked. You can eat arugula raw in salad recipes, but you have to deal with its peppery flavor. You can make sandwiches and replace lettuce easily.
Is Arugula a superfood?
Arugula is a leafy green vegetable. It has its own unique powers that make it a superfood. Using arugula in your daily meal can take it to the next level. The cancer-fighting properties are also the reason it is known as a superfood.
Is arugula good for weight loss?
There is no specific fruit and vegetable that can help in losing weight. You should eat more fruits and vegetables on daily basis to lose weight. All the fruits and vegetables contain low calorie but more nutrients.
Now, you know the best Arugula Substitute. You can choose according to what you have in the kitchen or you can also purchase from Amazon. Please! comment down below your questions, and let us know how much informative is this article for you. 🙂
