Meet the perfect fresh summer salad. This Arugula Watermelon Feta Salad with homemade feta cheese and a bright citrus vinaigrette is so easy to make and will impress all of your guests at any summer gathering!
Ah, summer. I love your long days and sunshine. I just wish there were more of you. There just aren't enough days to fit in all the summer fun we want to have, and all of the summer salads we want to eat! Top of our summer list, this Arugula Watermelon Feta Salad by Ina Garten.
Ingredients Needed
FRESH. If there's anything you notice from our recipes here at Served From Scratch, is that they are fresh fresh fresh. And this recipe is no exception.
- Fresh Baby Arugula - You could use regular arugula too, but the benefit of baby arugula (aside from it being smaller and more bite size) is that it's a little milder. Regular arugula is a little more "bitter" and peppery.
- Fresh Watermelon - Seedless will make your life easier, but whatever you have will work!
- Fresh Homemade Feta Cheese - Did you know your can make your own Feta Cheese From Scratch? Eeee we love love love it with some fresh feta, but duh, not everyone has time for that (it's a total labor of love) so any brand works well, just be sure it's not seasoned.
- Fresh Mint
And now the the... wait for it... fresh dressing. A light, citrus vinaigrette. And a great honey is truly something you should have in your pantry. We adore the honey from Wessels Family Honey, local here to Oregon.
Step-by-Step Instructions
It doesn't get much easier than this kind of salad.
Step 1. Prep your ingredients, cut the watermelon, julienne the mint
Step 2. Throw it all in a bowl!
Step 3. Give the vinaigrette ingredients a good whisk.
Step 4. Add vinaigrette and mix!
Done! SO EASY. And fast! This is a great salad to throw together for a last minute summer dinner or get-together!
Other Fresh Summer Salads
Teriyaki Shrimp Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
Israeli Couscous Cucumber Salad
Sweet juicy watermelon, salty briney feta, peppery arugula, fresh mint, and a bright citrus vinaigrette? It's like Summer in a bowl! And a great healthy salad for my IronMan training hubby!
FAQs
Absolutely. Use whatcha got. I love this with a good spring mix, too.
Anything that's not seasoned. There are a ton of great brands that make a nice briny, crumbly feta.
No problem. You can omit them or sub them for a white onion.
Yes! You can prep the vinaigrette up to 5 days in advance! If you do this, store it in a mason jar though - that way it's super easy to give it a vigorous shake when you're ready to use it.
Yes, you can. But fresh is always best! If you don't have any, you can definitely sub just all lemon juice, too.
Enjoy, Friends! If you make this recipe tell me what you think! I love to hear from you on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Arugula Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup minced shallots 1 large
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup good olive oil*
Salad
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups baby arugula washed and spun dry
- 1/8 seedless watermelon or half a small watermelon rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes
- 12 ounces feta cheese 1/2-inch diced**
- 1 cup 4 ounces whole fresh mint leaves, julienned
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If prepping ahead (more than an hour) store in a fridge in a mason jar.
- Add the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl and give a quick mix. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Serve immediately!
Yum! This is one of my fave salads! I like to add kalamata olives to it for some briney tang. So good!
Oooh GREAT idea, Janice! 😀