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Watermelon Arugula Summer Salad

Watermelon arugula summer salad pairs peppery arugula with juicy watermelon cubes, crumbled feta, and crunchy toasted almonds. Tossed with a bright lemon-olive oil dressing, it’s a fresh, sweet-salty salad for quick summer serving.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 190
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Arugula base
  • 4 cup fresh arugula
Fruit and herbs
  • 3 cup cubed watermelon Use ice-cold watermelon straight from the fridge if possible.
  • 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves
Cheese and crunch
  • 0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 0.25 cup toasted almonds
Lemon-olive oil dressing
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 0.01 salt and black pepper Season to taste.

Method
 

Build the salad
  1. Arrange the fresh arugula on a large platter so it forms an even layer.
  2. Scatter the cubed watermelon, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh mint leaves over the arugula.
Make the dressing and serve
  1. Whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, salt, and black pepper until the dressing looks uniform.
  2. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then top with the toasted almonds for crunch.
  3. Serve immediately for the best contrast between crisp arugula and cold watermelon.

Notes

For the best sweet-salty contrast, use ice-cold watermelon and sprinkle feta fairly evenly so every bite has a mix of flavors. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 1 day, but expect the arugula to soften; freeze is not recommended. For a dairy-free option, swap feta with a crumbled plant-based feta or marinated tofu feta-style crumbles.