As the temperatures rise, our palates tend to shift toward lighter foods to keep us feeling cool and refreshed. The combination of the tangy citrus, the sweet watermelon, and the salty feta cheese are the ideal marriage of ingredients for a salad that will quench your taste buds in the most balanced, refreshing way!
Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad
Ingredients:
1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 cups fresh arugula
6-8 oz of good quality feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 C fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 C toasted pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels)
Honey Citrus Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 freshly squeezed small lemon
Juice of 1 freshly squeezed small lime
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C orange juice
2 T honey (bonus points for local honey!)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Directions:
- Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil as you whisk to form an emulsion. If not using right away, you can store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator. I like to prepare this overnight to allow for all ingredients to fully absorb and save prep time the day of.
- Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, mint, and basil in a large serving bowl. Slowly pour the honey citrus vinaigrette ton top to coat the greens and watermelon lightly.
- Toast the pepitas in a toaster oven. Even if I buy unsalted and roasted pepitas, I like to toast them even more to bring out the flavor. Let them cool and then sprinkle on top.
- Serve immediately, as the watermelon will produce moisture when sitting too long.
Recipe Notes:
- Watermelon produces a lot of water, so don't assemble ingredients until ready to serve or it will become soggy.
- Depending on size of watermelon and amount of arugula used, you may not want to use the entire amount of vinaigrette but just enough to moisten greens and give them flavor.
- You can use any other herbs you like in place of or in addition to the mint and basil. Some recipes call for mint or basil, but I chose to mix a little of both. I have have also heard of using dill, so choose whichever herbs you prefer.
Enjoy this refreshing watermelon feta arugula salad on those hot summer days when heating up the oven to prepare a heavy dish is hardly desirable! Not only is it healthy and light, but it is also flavorful and fresh.
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