Watermelon Salad with Feta and Arugula | Recipe

A recipe for watermelon salad with feta featuring cubed watermelon, arugula, cucumbers and serrano-lime vinaigrette to top it all off! The perfect healthy salad recipe for warm weather and summer days!

There is a fruit that takes me back to my childhood; to the backyard of my Grandma Campbell’s house in the heart of Houston, surrounded by cousins with rosy, red faces and hairlines drenched from playing hard in the hot Texas summer.

Grandma would come and sit on her shaded, swinging bench seat from time to time, and watch us as we played. When we finally broke from a game of tag, we would go see what Grandma was up to on that bench. One of the memories that stands out most vivid of them all was the routine dishing out of ice-cold watermelon slices … alongside a warning that swallowing one of those little black seeds could potentially cause a big ol’ watermelon to sprout in our tummies.

My love for the fruit  (especially in the midst of a hot Texas summer), has undoubtedly stayed with me through the years, and I find myself craving sweet and refreshing qualities that can only be found within the variegated rind of a watermelon. And, when I really want to up my watermelon game, I go to my summertime treasure, a watermelon salad with feta cheese, arugula and a spicy serrano-lime dressing.

This watermelon salad is the perfect mix of sweet and savory, cool and spicy, crunchy and tender.

Cold, refreshing cucumber lay atop a bed of slightly spicy and flavorful baby arugula. The pepitas add a texture and crunch, while the homemade Serrano-Lime Dressing adds just the right amount of heat and spice.

My favorite part of all is quite possibly the backdrop formed by the salty Feta cheese, as it plays so well alongside the star of the show, sweet and juicy bites of watermelon.

And, yes, it may sound extreme, but to me, watermelon just might best be described as beloved; a food near-and-dear to my heart. Because, really, it is so much more than food. It is a memory. Memories of my sweet grandma and the summer days we spent surrounding her with sticky watermelon hands while she slowly swung back-and-forth on her shaded bench seat.

Enjoy watermelon whichever way your heart most desires, but might I suggest you enjoy it with loved ones and possibly even with the intent to make some summertime memories. Please, enjoy.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese and Arugula

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

A recipe for watermelon salad with feta featuring cubed watermelon, arugula, cucumbers and serrano-lime vinaigrette to top it all off! 

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 248 kcal

Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

For the Serrano-Lime Dressing:

• 1/4 c Fresh Cilantro chopped
• 3 Serrano Peppers seeded and diced
• 1 Shallot chopped
• 1 Clove of Garlic chopped
• 2 tsp Honey
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 1/3 c Olive Oil or Canola Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Salad:

• 6 c Baby Arugula washed and dried
• 3 c Watermelon cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 Cucumber sliced thin
• 1/3 c Feta crumbled
• 2 tbsp Pepitas Pumpkin Seeds

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients for the dressing, except for the olive oil, into a blender or a food processor and puree. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside until ready to serve. Toss together ingredients for the salad, drizzle with Serrano-Lime dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

2. Serves 4

Nutrition Facts

Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese and Arugula

Amount Per Serving

Calories 248 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19g 29%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 11mg 4%

Sodium 152mg 6%

Potassium 415mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates 16g 5%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 12g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 31.5%

Vitamin C 23.2%

Calcium 12.8%

Iron 8.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.