Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad with Walnuts

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Introducing a wonderfully fruity and revitalizing watermelon salad with arugula, feta cheese, and walnuts, perfect for those hot summer days!

Watermelon feta arugula salad with walnuts.

Light and super refreshing summer salads, such as the bean tomato cucumber salad or the cucumber avocado feta salad, are simply what life is all about on those warm days of summer. Not wanting to spend much time in the kitchen, but still aiming to enjoy a nice, crisp, and filling bite to sink your teeth in.

With its phenomenally fruity notes, this salad quite frankly tastes delightfully like summer! My recipe is a great alternative to the traditionally prepared mint-based watermelon salad. Give it a try! No regrets, I promise.

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Here’s why you’ll fall in love with this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Perfect Pairings
FAQ
Related Recipes
Recipe

Here’s why you’ll fall in love with this recipe

Refreshing: The fruity and light watermelon salad is the perfect dish for hot summer days!

Quick and easy: Only 4 simple ingredients are needed, along with a quick yet mighty tasty dressing. No fancy gadgets required; in and out of the kitchen in under 15 minutes.

Arugula: Unlike similar recipes, this salad doesn’t require any mint (as is so often used in combination with watermelon). Arugula provides our salad with a particularly distinctive taste, thereby hitting and satisfying all the right culinary “hot spots.”

Ingredients

For our watermelon arugula salad, you’ll only need a few everyday ingredients, along with a simple dressing. Easy enough, right?

Watermelon (seedless): Naturally, our star of the dish. Slightly sweet in taste and beautifully invigorating. My recipe calls for 500 g net (no rind) of watermelon, which equates to approximately 3 1/3 cups. Some stores carry mini watermelons (seedless), which would be a good option if you only need to cover this recipe.

Feta cheese: Feta cheese or goat cheese harmonizes superbly with watermelon. They also provide a healthy dose of protein, making sure that the tummy stays fuller for a longer period of time.

Arugula: Its light and pleasant pungency will provide this dish with its especially unique flavor profile. Make sure to grab arugula that is as fresh and crisp-looking as possible (no bruised/yellow bits).

Walnuts: Not only do they deliver heaps of nutritious and healthy fats, but they also add a nice crunch, further enhancing our watermelon’s crispness and wonderfully offsetting the creaminess of our feta or goat cheese. Feel free to grab chopped walnuts at the store. Eliminates the step of having to chop them up yourself.

To top it off, we’ll need some lime juice, olive oil, honey, water, salt, and pepper for our tasty dressing.

Instructions

The watermelon feta arugula salad is quickly and easily prepared. Here’s what needs to happen:

The following paragraph will provide detailed step-by-step instructions. Feel free to directly jump to the recipe card for the exact recipe including measurements.

Step 1

With a knife, remove the watermelon rind and proceed by cutting its red flesh into bite-sized cubes.

Step 2

Remove the feta or goat cheese from its packaging and cut it into small chunks as well.

I’d recommend keeping them at about the same size as the watermelon. Visually more pleasing and easier to consume.

Step 3

Thoroughly rinse and drain your arugula (pat dry with a paper towel if needed). Depending on the size, feel free to pluck them into smaller pieces and discard any bruised leaves.

Now, roughly chop your walnuts or crumble by hand. (Ignore this step if you bought chopped walnuts.)

Arugula and chopped walnuts on a wooden board.

Step 4

Let’s get started on our delicious dressing.

Combine the juice of a freshly squeezed lime with the olive oil, honey, and water and whisk well to ensure the honey has mostly dissolved. Thoroughly season with salt and black pepper.

Step 5

Time to “gather” our remaining ingredients and let them sing in harmony. Toss your cubed watermelon, feta cheese, arugula, and walnuts into a large bowl. Drizzle your scrumptious dressing over the ingredients and give it a good stir.

Chef’s Tip: This summer salad is best enjoyed and devoured freshly made or after having rested in the fridge for only a short period.

Variations

As with many of my recipes, I’ve deliberately kept this recipe on the simpler side. There is always room to adjust to one’s specific taste buds. Here are just a few ideas on how to further modify my base recipe:

Cucumber (English, seedless): ‘Cause, why not? Chop up a cucumber and incorporate some of it into your salad for additional crunch. Don’t go overboard, though; otherwise, you’ll run the risk of watering down your salad too much.

Fresh Mint: I wasn’t really a fan of the arugula-mint combo, therefore I decided to simply stick with arugula only for this specific recipe. However, I have come across many recipes calling for both (arugula and mint), so if this is a flavor combination that’s right up your alley, feel free to incorporate some fresh mint.

Scallions/Green onions: In the mood to ramp up the pungency level a bit? For an exceptionally intense flavor, cut some scallions into rings and add them to your dish. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I truly enjoy this additional kick. As always, stick with your preferred flavor palate and adjust accordingly.

Lemon: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of lime juice when creating your dressing.

Watermelon salad with feta cheese, arugula and walnuts.

Perfect Pairings

This delightful watermelon feta salad with arugula makes for an ideal and light side dish, whether served as an appetizer or a hearty dessert. A great addition to any entrée, sandwich, or even a picnic in the park.

Are you looking for an easy side dish to bring to your next barbecue? You’ll check the box with this one as well. Something different to please the crowds and an extraordinarily energizing treat to serve alongside your grilled goodies on one of those hot summer days. Nothing against the traditional Italian pasta salad ;), but our watermelon dish will surely hit the spot and satisfy everyone’s taste buds.

You may also enjoy this recipe as a little snack or a quick bite in between meals. Doesn’t always have to be a sweet snack, right?

FAQ

Can I prepare this salad ahead of time?

I’d recommend serving this dish freshly prepared or after having rested and chilled in the fridge for a short time. Resting briefly will also help with fully developing its flavors. Moreover, serving it “cold” will turn up the notch as far as “being refreshing” is concerned.

I would advise against preparing the dish the day before, as our salad won’t keep that long. But, preparing it a few hours in advance (e.g., for a barbecue) is definitely doable.

Tipp: Make sure the salad does not sit out too long, especially in extreme heat. 😉

How long can this dish be stored?

n the refrigerator, it will last for a maximum of 1-2 days. Taste your watermelon on day 2 to make sure it hasn’t lost any of its flavor or texture.

(Unfortunately, watermelon doesn’t keep very long once you cut it up.)

Looking for other refreshing summer recipes like this? Try these:

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