This watermelon arugula is a delightfully refreshing summer salad! Made with ripe and sweet watermelon chunks, diced cucumber, peppery arugula, briny feta cheese, fresh mint leaves, and chopped pistachios for crunch. The best salad to bring to cookouts, picnics, or family dinner. Gluten free, vegetarian, vegan option, paleo option, Whole30 option.
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A quick note on this recipe! The original version of this post was published back in 2015. Since then I’ve re-tested the recipe, refreshed the photos, and updated the content. I’m republishing it for you today to enjoy! The recipe is slightly different, so if you want the original just shoot me an email and I’ll send it your way! I hope you continue to make and love this delicious summer salad. xo
The best watermelon salad
Who’s ready to make the most of summer with delicious food like this watermelon salad!?
I know I say this often this recipe is REALLY easy to make. Because I like to keep things as straightforward as possible around here. And you could actually very easily change the recipe around to fit whatever you have in your fridge or garden. No mint? Cilantro or basil would be a delicious substitute. No red onion? how about some finely diced shallots or thinly sliced green onion instead.
This salad is really the embodiment of simple, fresh, and flavorful food being enjoyed during it’s very peak of perfection. A bright gem to adorn the table that can be thrown together in less than twenty minutes and will go PERFECTLY with all your other favorite summer recipes.
Because everyone’s summer deserves salads that are crazy delicious.
Why you’ll love this watermelon arugula salad
It is:
- Fresh and vibrant
- Sweet, salty, and bright
- Easy to make
- Impressive yet easy to make
- Vegetarian, and easily made vegan, paleo, or Whole30
- The perfect highlight of summer produce
- Light and refreshing
- Made with healthy ingredients
- Absolutely irresistible!
Ingredients and substitutions
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Nothing says summer quite like a salad packed with all the fresh ingredients and bright colors. This one is made with a variety of ingredients that help hit every note that you’d want in a salad: it’s sweet, salty, peppery, herbaceous, and has crunch and texture thanks to the greens and chopped pistachios.
Here’s what you need to make it
- Watermelon – Either cubed or balled with a melon baller – either option works! For the best tasting salad aim to buy the sweetest watermelon you can find! I share some tips for picking out a good one in the section below.
- English cucumber – I prefer english cucumber or little mini cucumbers for this recipe because the skin is tender and you don’t have to peel them.
- Red onion – Thinly sliced red onion adds a bright little zip to the salad. They can be swapped for a little bit of finely minced shallots, thinly sliced green onions, or even left out of the salad all together if you’re not a fan of onions.
- Arugula – I love the peppery bite that arugula adds to this salad, but you could substitute another green if you prefer something else!
- Mint – Chopped fresh mint is a welcome flavor pairing to the arugula and feta.
- Feta cheese – For a salty, briny note.
- Pistachios – Chopped pistachios add a bit of crunch!
- Simple vinaigrette – Made with olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper.
How to choose the best watermelon
- Look for a watermelon with dull skin. Dull skin means the watermelon is ripe. If it appears shiny it hasn’t had a chance to fully ripen yet.
- Extra webbing means extra sweetness. The webbing on the skin of a watermelon is an indication of the pollination process. The more webbing a watermelon has the more pollinated it was, which is a good thing!
- Make sure the field spot is orange and not white. The field spot is the lighter colored spot on the watermelon – the longer it sat on the vine the riper it will be. For the ripest watermelon look for an orange or dark yellow field spot.
- Look for a dry stem. If the watermelons you’re picking from have stems look for a dry one! If it’s still bright green it means it was picked too early.
- Round and uniform is best! Did you know there are male and female watermelons? A male watermelon is bigger and has an elongated shape, while a female watermelon is rounder and more uniform in size. Male watermelons tend to be more watery and female watermelons are generally sweeter!
Health benefits of watermelon
Watermelon definitely falls into the category of being healthy, or good for you.
It’s over 90% water which makes it incredibly hydrating. It’s also relatively low in sugar, and packed with Vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
It also contains a high amount of lycopene (about 40% more than tomatoes!), a powerful antioxidant that is found in red fleshed fruits and vegetables that may provide protection from the sun, improve heart health, and lower risk from some types of cancers.
Recipe variations
- Use a different salad green. Baby spinach, spring mix, or even baby kale would all be delicious.
- Switch out the mint. If you’re not into mint or don’t have any on hand you could also use basil, fresh parsley, or cilantro instead.
- Try another type of cheese. Feta is the classic choice for a watermelon salad because they just taste so good together, but really any type of bold, salty cheese will work! You could try using a firm goat cheese, cotija, parmesan, or even crumbled blue cheese.
- Experiment with different types of toasted nuts. I opted for toasted pistachios in this recipe but you could try adding toasted almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds instead.
- Use a different vinegar in the vinaigrette. Rice vinegar adds a nice mild and slightly sweet brightness to the vinaigrette, but apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic would be yummy alternatives.
- Add some other ingredients. Quinoa, orzo pasta, avocado, sweet peas, asparagus, or fresh strawberries would be delicious additions! You could also make it spicy by adding some chopped jalapeño.
- Make it a full meal. Add a filling grain like quinoa and some protein like grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp and you have a complete, fresh, summer meal.
How to make watermelon salad
Step-by-step instructions
- Make the dressing and prep the ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut, chop, and measure remaining salad ingredients.
- Toss the salad. Add salad ingredients to a large bowl, reserving a little bit of the feta, mint, and pistachios to garnish. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
- Serve and enjoy!. Season to taste with salt if needed and serve immediately for the best texture.
How to make this salad vegan paleo, or Whole30 compliant
How to make this salad…
Vegan: Omit the feta cheese or swap it out for a plant based cheese option, and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
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Paleo friendly: Omit the feta cheese.
Whole30 compatible: Omit the feta cheese, leave the honey out of the dressing, and make sure your dijon mustard is Whole30 compatible.
How long will watermelon salad last in the refrigerator?
This salad is best served fresh. The greens will start to wilt fairly quickly because of the dressing if it sits around. It will still taste good after a day or two, but won’t be as fresh.
If you’re planning to have leftovers I would suggest leaving the arugula out of the salad except for the portion you’ll be eating immediately.
If you want to make this salad ahead of time just prep all of the ingredients and store them in separate containers until you’re ready to toss it together and serve.
What to do with leftover watermelon
If you have leftover watermelon after making this salad you could always chop it up and snack on it for several days, or you could take a few minutes to make some refreshing watermelon juice! It’s my personal favorite way to use it up before it gets soft sitting around in the fridge.
My recipe for watermelon juice is super easy and also makes a tasty cocktail if you spike it with tequila, vodka, white rum, or gin!
Love this watermelon salad? Try these other vibrant salad recipes!
- Spicy Watermelon Salad
- Simple Arugula Salad
- Lemony Chickpea Feta Salad
- Summer Peach Salad with Almonds and Feta
- Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
- Chopped Vegan Chickpea Salad
- Gluten Free Italian Pasta Salad
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