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Watermelon Basil Salad: icy cold watermelon cubes in balsamic dressing with red onions, peppery arugula, fresh basil, and feta or goat cheese crumbles. Sweet, savory, super fresh, and incredibly satisfying, this salad should be a standard at your summer table.
Watermelon Basil Salad
When the temperature and humidity are through the roof, sometimes all I want is a big salad. To make this perfect summer salad, icy cold watermelon cubes are tossed in a simple balsamic dressing with paper thin red onions, peppery arugula, feta or goat cheese, and fresh basil leaves.
I make this both with and without the cheese depending on my mood. Most of my family prefers it without the cheese, so we typically serve this with crumbled goat cheese or feta on the side.
It’s hard to describe how refreshing this salad is. I cannot get enough of it right now. Whether you’re grilling, picnicking, or looking for a light and easy side dish, this is the salad for you!
Watermelon and Arugula Salad
To make this arugula watermelon salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- red onion
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- watermelon
- arugula
- basil
- kosher salt
- pepper
- feta or goat cheese OPTIONAL
Watermelon feta salad is a very popular combination, but my personal preference is for watermelon goat cheese salad. Please use whichever cheese you love best here!
Watermelon Arugula Salad
Place the red onion, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl and let the onions rest while assembling the rest of the watermelon basil salad.
Slice the cold watermelon into cubes and add to the bowl with the onions. Add the arugula and basil to the bowl and toss to coat.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with goat cheese or feta, if desired, before serving.
Arugula Recipes
Everyone knows what to do with watermelon, but sometimes we need a little inspiration to use up that arugula. We have you covered!
Sweet, roasted golden beets and peppery arugula are tossed with creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts to make the golden beet salad that I can’t stop eating. Drizzled with a vinaigrette or a balsamic glaze, it’s a vibrantly colorful and flavorful salad that I absolutely love.
Sweet corn, crunchy bacon, juicy tomatoes, peppery arugula, and fresh basil are combined in this BLT Corn Salad to create an unforgettable combination of fresh flavors in each bite.
Arugula Tomato Salad celebrates the sweet summer freshness of tomatoes with the peppery bite of arugula glazed with balsamic.
Watermelon Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ small red onion very thinly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups seedless watermelon cut into 1-inch cubes and chilled
- 5 ounces arugula
- 12 large basil leaves very thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper adjust to taste
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Place the red onion, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl and let the onions rest while assembling the rest of the salad.
- Slice the cold watermelon into cubes and add to the bowl with the onions. Add the arugula and basil to the bowl and toss to coat.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with goat cheese or feta before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
