Watermelon Arugula Salad is a light, refreshing and vibrant summer salad made with fresh peppery arugula, sweet watermelon cubes, salty feta cheese, and crunchy pecans. This unexpected side dish is perfect for any summer dinner, potluck or party.
Watermelon Arugula Salad
Watermelon Arugula Salad is simply the best of summer on a plate. It combines unexpected flavors like peppery arugula with sweet watermelon and salty feta. The red wine vinegar dressing lets the flavors pop for a real summer food party in your mouth. It's perfect for any summer grilling dishes.
It's topped with a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing or use my famous Red Wine Vinaigrette for a real pop of flavor.
You will absolutely love this sweet and savory combination. Plus this salad is super good for you with the vibrant greens and vitamin-packed watermelon. This 15 minutes summer salad is one you will serve again and again.
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Why You'll Love this Watermelon Arugula Salad...
- My Watermelon Arugula Salad is very good for you! See the health benefits of watermelon and arugula below. Plus an entire serving is under 160 calories.
- It's got that special sweet and savory thing.
- It's effortless to make in around 15 minutes.
- You can easily plate it in smaller pretty portions for a dinner party OR make a big bowl for a cookout or potluck.
- It's so pretty!
Nutritional Benefits of Watermelon:
Watermelon is really good for you because it has some key nutrients but it is still low in calories. It's great for staying hydrated because it's full of water, in fact, it's nearly 90% water. It's great for hot summer days. It is also heart-healthy, has vitamins A and C, plus lycopene, which support immune function and could help you reduce your risk of cancer.
Nutritional Benefits of Arugula:
Arugula is a dark leafy green that's packed with nutrients. You'll find an impressive amount of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and folate in each cup. It's also great heart-healthy food.
Ingredients:
Here's what you'll need to make this Watermelon Argula Salad. Keep scrolling for the complete printable recipe with the specific amounts.
- Watermelon: I like a sweet summer, seedless watermelon because you need small bites of melon without seeds for this salad. I like making about half-inch-sized cubes for my salad.
- Arugula: I like to buy tender, baby arugula for this salad. Look for bright, vibrant, and green leaves.
- Feta: You can use your favorite type of feta cheese including either full fat or reduced fat. You can also buy pre-crumbled or buy the block and crumble it yourself.
- Mint: Fresh mint is a gorgeous addition to this salad and adds a unique pop of flavor. If you don't like mint, fresh basil would also be delicious. If you find fresh herbs to be too powerful, you can also just leave them off.
- Pecans: Fresh chopped pecans add a bit of crunch to the salad and balance out the textures. If you aren't a fan of nuts, you can leave them off.
- Olive Oil & Red Wine Vinegar: I dress this salad with a super simple olive oil and vinegar dressing. When making a simple salad dressing like this I like to use quality ingredients. I like this olive oil and this red wine vinegar.
- Salt & Pepper
How to Select a Watermelon
The trick for getting a good watermelon is to look for a fellow or cream-colored splots or ground spot. It should also feel heavy! You might be surprised that watermelons retain the most nutrients when stored on the counter at room temperature. Once cut, transfer it to the fridge.
Tips for Cutting the Watermelon
To cube the watermelon without a lot of fuss, get out a large sharp knife and cutting board. Cut off both ends of the watermelon and then use the knife to cut the skin off. Then slice and cube the watermelon.
Instructions:
Keep scrolling for my full printable recipe for my Watermelon Argula Salad.
- In a large bowl combine the arugula and mint. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and red wine vinegar on the greens. Add a small amount of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Lightly toss the greens.
- If serving on plates, divide the greens among 6 plates. Add the watermelon, feta, and pecans on top. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
- If serving in a large bowl, toss most of the watermelon, feta, and pecans into the salad. Leave a small amount to arrange on the top of the bowl for a pretty presentation. Garnish with fresh mint.
- Serve immediately because the greens will get soggy after being dressed.
Variations:
I love this Watermelon Arugula Salad as is, but here are some fun ways to mix it up.
- Add Different Fruit: You can also make this with a mixture of summer fruits like blueberries, strawberries, or even cantaloupe.
- Add Red Onion: To get a more savory bite in the salad, all a few thin slices of red onion.
- Mix Up the Nuts: Other nuts like almonds or walnuts would also be good in this.
- Mix Up the Cheese: Crumbled goat cheese or cubed white sharp cheddar cheese would also be delicious.
- Add Some Lemon: Brighten the dish up by adding a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice from lemons.
- Use a Different Dressing: If you want more of a complete dressing use my Red Wine Vinegar Dressing or your favorite bottled light vinaigrette like this one.
- Add Balsamic Glaze: To add even more richness to the salad, finish the plate with Balsamic Glaze.
FAQ
Can you make this ahead of time?
You can't completely make this salad ahead of time because the dressed arugula will get soggy. You can do most of the prep work ahead of time by washing the arugula and chopping the mint and watermelon. When it's time to serve just toss the greens in the dressing and plate the salad.
Can you make this for a crowd?
Yes! You can easily double this recipe and put it in a large serving bowl for a big potluck. The recipe below contains instructions for making it look pretty in a big bowl.
This Watermelon Arugula Salad is the salad of summer!
This Watermelon Arugula Salad really is THE salad of the summer. Between the bright greens and healthy chunks of watermelon, I promise you'll watch it disappear at any dinner party or potluck. I love how healthy it is and how different it is from the normal salad routine. The taste and flavors are simply divine. One bite and you will be hooked.
In fact, these flavors truly POP off the plate. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Make it a Meal:
- Shrimp Pineapple Kabobs
- Healthy Crab Cakes
- Lightened-Up Spinach and Three Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Best Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Southwest Black Bean Burger
- Cheese Ranch Potatoes
- Healthy Shrimp Foil Packets
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More Watermelon Recipes to Try
- Watermelon Blueberry & Feta Salad
- Cucumber Watermelon & Strawberry Salad
- Watermelon Salsa
- Watermelon Mint Smoothie
- Watermelon Mint Nice Cream
- Watermelon Mint Popsicles
If you make this Watermelon Arugula Salad recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!
Watermelon Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups watermelon, diced
- 6 cups arugula
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh mint, julienned
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the arugula and mint. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and red wine vinegar on the greens. Add a small amount of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Lightly toss the greens.
- If serving on plates, divide the greens among 6 plates. Add the watermelon, feta, and pecans on top. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
- If serving in a large bowl, toss most of the watermelon, feta, and pecans into the salad. Leave a small amount to arrange on the top of the bowl for a pretty presentation. Garnish with fresh mint.
- Serve immediately because the greens will get soggy after being dressed.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for later:
Sharonc says
The peppery arugula mixed with the sweet watermelon and creamy feta makes this one delicious salad!
Nadalie says
Just perfect! I dont usually mix watermelon with salads but this is something I got to try soon!
Jen @ JENRON DESIGNS says
We love a fresh watermelon salad in the summertime especially with feta such a great combination.
Stephanie Honikel says
All my faves in one dish! This salad is perfection!
Helen Little says
This has my mouth watering. Definitely one to try this summer!
Swathi says
Watermelon arugula salad looks delicious I like the feta and watermelon combo