Watermelon Arugula Salad

This Watermelon Arugula Salad is the perfect light, fresh and fruity salad for the warmer months. Juicy watermelon is mixed with peppery arugula, fresh herbs and creamy feta cheese. The salad is dressed with a light herby vinaigrette. Your guests will love this salad alongside grilled meats and seafood.

WATERMELON ARUGULA SALAD

Watermelon season is fast approaching.

Once the weather gets warmer we crave watermelon in our house and it becomes a summer staple.

I love using it in salads and appetizers.

Today’s Watermelon Arugula Salad is the perfect light, fruity salad to pair with your grilling.

Watermelon is a really versatile fruit as well as enjoying it as it is, it also works really well in both sweet and savory dishes, where it not only adds great flavor, but texture and crunch too.

Try watermelon in some of my favorite recipes, my Easy Watermelon Salsa, Cucumber Salsa or my Berry Melon Bruschetta.

This salad is such a versatile salad and a lot of fun ingredients can be added in like nuts and seeds, extra vegetables or even pickled vegetables.

There is something so satisfying about all of those fresh summer salads.

Some others that I like to make are this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad, Mediterranean Eggplant Salad, Easy Lebanese Salad and this Mediterranean Farro Salad.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE WATERMELON ARUGULA SALAD

FLAVOR PACKED: This salad has the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Sweet and crunchy watermelon, spicy arugula and crumbly, salty feta, dressed in a fresh and herby vinaigrette.

EASY TO PREPARE: This salad can be prepared and ready to enjoy in just 15 minutes, making it the ideal side dish to serve any night of the week.

VERSATILE RECIPE: You can add any other flavors into this salad that you are your family enjoy, for example add some fresh herbs like parsley, mint or chive.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR THIS WATERMELON ARUGULA SALAD RECIPE?

• LEAFY GREENS: I like to add arugula to this salad as it has a wonderful spicy flavor which works really well with the sweet watermelon.
• WATERMELON: this delicious fruit not only tastes great but also adds crunch and texture to the salad. I use seedless watermelon if it is available.
• ONION: I’ve used a red onion in the salad, shallot or green onions would be great alternatives as they also have a milder flavor.
• CHEESE: I like to crumble feta cheese over the salad, which adds a great flavor and a touch of salt to the salad.
• SEASONING: I keep the seasoning simple with a little Salt and black pepper to taste

FOR THE WATERMELON ARUGULA SALAD DRESSING

• OIL: I love using extra virgin olive oil in salad dressing as it has a wonderful nutty flavor.
• VINEGAR: I use white vinegar in the dressing.
• FRESH HERBS: I add fresh herbs like basil, mint, or parsley to the vinaigrette.
• GARLIC: Fresh garlic adds great flavor to the salad dressing.

HOW TO MAKE WATERMELON ARUGULA SALAD

PREPARE THE SALAD: In a large bowl, combine the arugula, watermelon cubes, red onion slices, and crumbled feta cheese. Toss gently to mix.

MAKE THE DRESSING: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white vinegar, minced garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper until well combined.

DRESS THE SALAD: Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat the ingredients evenly.

SERVE THE SALAD: Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve the watermelon feta cheese salad immediately and enjoy!

CAN I MAKE THE SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?

While it’s best to enjoy this salad immediately after preparing it, you can prep the ingredients in advance and assemble the salad just before serving.

Keep the watermelon cubes, arugula, sliced onion, and crumbled feta cheese separate until you’re ready to serve. This will help prevent the salad from becoming too watery.

RECIPE TIPS & MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS WATERMELON FETA ARUGULA SALAD

LEAFY GREENS: If you’re not a fan of arugula, you can substitute it with other leafy greens like baby spinach or mixed salad greens. Or leave it off altogether, the combination of watermelon, feta cheese, and the vinaigrette will still create a delicious salad.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES: Add other fruits and vegetables to the salad that you enjoy eating. Try tomatoes, english cucumber, grapes, green onion, radish or beetroot. For fruits I like adding mango, pineapple, strawberries or blueberries. I also love adding these pickled onions or pickled vegetables.

CHEESE: I’ve used Feta cheese in the salad as it has a great crumbly texture. I also like that it is a salty feta cheese because the flavor which works well with the sweet watermelon and spicy arugula. You could also use cottage cheese, ricotta or goat cheese.

NUTS & SEEDS: Nuts and seeds are a nice addition to an arugula salad. I like pine nuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, almonds, pistachios and sunflower seeds.

CITRUS: Add some lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice to the vinaigrette for a citrus twist. I also like lime juice for a more tangy flavor.

VINEGAR: In the salad dressing, swap white vinegar, for white wine, red wine, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar. A drizzle of balsamic glaze is also a nice addition to this salad.

FRESH HERBS: I love to add fresh herbs to the salad as well as the salad dressing, try parsley, chives, cilantro, fresh basil, tarragon, oregano, dill, or fresh mint leaves.

DOUBLE THE RECIPE: This recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you are feeding a larger group of diners.

LEFTOVERS: This is a salad that is best served fresh, however leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, although be aware that the salad will become more watery the longer it sits.

HOW TO SERVE WATERMELON FETA SALAD

The fresh, sweet flavors in this salad make it the perfect side when the sun is out and the grill is on. It pairs really well with grilled meats, fish and seafood.

Our grill is on the whole summer long and we love to serve this salad with Grilled Chicken Thighs, Grilled Tandoori Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs, or my Mediterranean Chicken. Or try it with my Grilled Flank Steak or Southwestern Hamburgers with Sweet Guacamole recipes.

If seafood is your thing, this salad is perfect with my Pan Fried Garlic Butter Cod, or my Greek Grilled Shrimps, or Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers if the grill is on.

OTHER SALAD RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

CUCUMBER ONION SALAD

LEMON ARUGULA SALAD

ARUGULA ORZO SALAD

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

EASY LEBANESE SALAD

CRUNCHY KALE SLAW

EASY TOMATO SALAD

APPLE KALE QUINOA SALAD