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Watermelon Arugula Salad is a vibrant summer side that combines sweet watermelon, peppery arugula, and creamy feta with a zingy jalapeño lime vinaigrette. It’s fresh, colorful, and takes just 20 minutes to assemble.
I have a confession: watermelon has never been my favorite fruit. As a kid, I watched other children inhale huge wedges, juice dripping down their arms, seeds flying, and I just didn’t get it. To me, it tasted like sugar water—cool and sweet but lacking the depth I loved in cantaloupe or honeydew.
This Watermelon Arugula Salad changed that. Paired with bold, contrasting flavors I already love—salty feta, peppery greens, and a little jalapeño kick—watermelon becomes something I genuinely crave. I owe a thank you to Hermiston farmers too; their melons are the real deal. If I’d had a salad like this growing up, I might have come around a little sooner.
The salad comes together in minutes but makes a lasting impression. It’s perfect alongside anything from the grill, and the dressing is so good you might find yourself drizzling it on everything.
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Hands-on time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: Easy
- Great for: Cookouts, potlucks, light summer meals
Watermelon Arugula Salad Ingredients
- Watermelon: Choose a small seedless watermelon that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy yellow field spot. I’ve found Hermiston melons particularly flavorful.
- Arugula: Use baby arugula for the best texture. It’s tender with a nice peppery bite.
- Feta: I like to use a block of feta and cut it into cubes, but crumbled feta works well too. Choose a firm, creamy variety packed in brine.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed is best here. About one lime should do it.
- Champagne vinegar: Bright and slightly floral, but white wine vinegar makes a fine substitute.
- Shallot: Adds a mild, oniony depth to the dressing.
- Jalapeño: I use half for gentle heat, but you can dial it up or down depending on your spice tolerance.
- Fresh thyme: Adds a subtle herbal note that complements the other flavors.
- Olive oil: Choose a buttery, mild one rather than something too grassy or peppery.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning both the dressing and the finished salad.
Why This Recipe Works
- Salty sweet balance: Watermelon, feta, and arugula hit all the right notes. Sweet, salty, creamy, and peppery.
- Jalapeño vinaigrette: A bright, spicy dressing that brings everything together without overpowering.
- No soggy greens: Dressing is added at the end, just before serving.
- Flexible ingredients: Easy to adapt based on what you have.
- Quick to make: No cooking. Just chopping and blending.
How to Make Watermelon Arugula Salad
Make the vinaigrette
Blend lime juice, vinegar, shallot, jalapeño, and thyme until smooth. Slowly stream in olive oil while blending until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the salad
Layer watermelon, arugula, and feta in a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with dressing just before serving and season to taste.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Add crunch: Toasted almonds, pistachios, or pepitas work beautifully.
- Switch the cheese: Try goat cheese, parmesan shavings, or fresh mozzarella.
- Herb it up: Add fresh mint, basil, or parsley for another layer of flavor.
- More heat: Use the whole jalapeño or add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the vinaigrette.
- Make it a meal: Add Spicy Grilled Shrimp or chicken to turn this into a main dish.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Dressing: Can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Shake well before using.
- Watermelon: Can be cubed 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Assembly: Wait to combine all ingredients and add dressing until just before serving to avoid soggy greens.
FAQ
Yes. Red wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar works well.
Just a touch. For less heat, use less jalapeño or omit entirely. For more, leave the seeds in or double the amount.
Absolutely. Omit the cheese or try a dairy free feta substitute.
Finely mince the jalapeño and shallot, then whisk the dressing by hand.
Look for a heavy melon with a creamy yellow field spot and a deep, hollow sound when tapped.
Even if you’ve never been a watermelon fan, this salad might change your mind. The balance of bold, fresh flavors makes it unforgettable. It’s the kind of dish you’ll come back to all summer long.
What to Serve With
Watermelon and Arugula Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice juice of 1 whole lime
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1/2 small jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the salad:
- 1/2 small seedless watermelon ‘small’ is a 5-6 pound watermelon, see recipe notes
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 4 ounces feta cut into 1/4-inch squares or crumbled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
- Combine lime juice, vinegar, shallot, jalapeño and thyme leaves to a blender pitcher and blend until smooth, scrape down sides as necessary. With the blender running, add oil in a steady stream and blend until smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to small pitcher for drizzling.
For the salad:
- Arrange watermelon, arugula and feta on a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle salad with desired amount of vinaigrette. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve.
Notes
- According to the Watermelon Board, the average size of a watermelon is 15-20 pounds, but often you can find small seedless watermelons in the grocery store – in the 5-6 pound range. You’ll need 1/2 of a small or a 1/4 of a large watermelon for this recipe.
- If your vinaigrette separates after chilling, shake or whisk to recombine.
- For best texture, wait to dress the salad until just before serving.
- Leftover vinaigrette is great on grilled vegetables or tacos.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve always loved a bit of heat with watermelon. The sweet is just so good with the spicy! This salad is amazing and so beautiful. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you so much, Valentina!
I’ve always loved watermelon Marissa. Glad you’ve come around. This salad looks totally refreshing and just perfect for summer! Love the feta watermelon combination.
haha..finally, right!? Thanks, Mary Ann.
There are plenty of foods that fall into that category for me, too, Marissa. Glad you discovered this recipe…it sounds delicious! I have to admit that I haven’t played around much with watermelon in savory salads. However, the combination of ingredients here sounds delicious. We have watermelon in the fridge right now, so I might just need to grab some feta and try it out!
I hope you’ll give this one a try, David!
Watermelon and feta are one of my favorite combinations! What a great salad to enjoy throughout the summer.
Thanks, my friend!
yum i do love watermelon and it is great in a salad. pairs so well with fetta and black olives for instance. cheers sherry
Thanks, Sherry!
Watermelon and feta are such a perfect combination. Love your salad dressing too!
Definitely a winning combo! Thank you, Sabrina!
Glad that you and watermelons are becoming good friends now, even if you like them only in salads! I’ve been a huge fan of watermelon salads for many years now; it’s always good, refreshing, and light. Love this version too.
Yes, finally friends! 😉 Thanks so much, Ben!
So many people I know don’t care for watermelon so you’re not alone! I love it, and it would be so good paired in a salad like this! That vinaigrette sounds amazing!
How funny…I guess I just assumed that everyone loved it! 🙂 I’m so glad that I discovered I could love it in the right combo!! Thanks so much, my friend!
What a beautiful salad, Marissa!! I didn’t eat a lot of watermelon growing up…and really not a lot now, but put it in a salad like this and I could eat the whole thing by myself. Love this one!
Thank you so much, Dawn!
Such a beautiful salad. I love this classic flavor combination. The presentation is lovely.
Thanks so much!
I am a big fan of watermelons, your salad looks great. Reading through the ingredients make me feel like this recipe brings together a lot of great tastes, lovely.
Thank you – it really is a nice combination.
I’ve never tried watermelon in salad, but this time i’ll do !!!
I imagine you get some delicious melons in Italy. I’m still dreaming of the tomatoes we had when we were there…
What a delightful and delicious salad!
Thank you…
Well, watermelon isn’t my favorite either, so at least you’re not alone! That said, it does sound pretty great in a savory salad application. 🙂
It’s amazing what adding a little salt and kick can do for it. 🙂
I love watermelon in savoury salads too! 🙂 I actually dried watermelon strips yesterday! They were so interesting! 😮
I’d love to try that – I’ve never heard of drying watermelon.