Arugula & Watermelon Salad
Delicious watermelon salad recipe with fresh arugula, feta, olives and sherry vinaigrette. This surprising, sweet and savory salad is perfect for summer!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 22, 2024
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You know when you’re ordering at a restaurant, and you’re only kind of hungry so you go for a salad, only to become ravenous as plates start landing on other tables? At which point you start hoping and praying that your salad will not be one of those artfully arranged, meager salads, but instead a plate overflowing with hearty ingredients?
That’s how I met this salad. I’m always drawn to the more unusual options on the menu, so I couldn’t resist the watermelon and arugula salad at Blvd Tavern here in Kansas City. Their version also includes pickled watermelon rind, which was awesome but would have doubled the prep time, so I went without here.
I was relieved when my salad arrived on a small-ish plate, but with an impressive amount of food piled on top. It turns out that ripe watermelon tossed with bitter arugula, balanced by creamy feta and Kalamata olives, is a real treat. Trust me. I have no doubt that this salad would be fantastic with big slices of heirloom tomato in lieu of the watermelon, too.
Arugula & Watermelon Salad
Delicious watermelon salad recipe with fresh arugula, feta, olives and sherry vinaigrette. This surprising, sweet and savory salad is perfect for summer! Recipe yields 2 large salads (as shown) or 4 side salads.
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 ounces arugula (about 5 cups, packed)
- 2 cups cubed (about 1″) pieces of seedless watermelon (from ½ of a mini watermelon, or about ¼ of a medium watermelon)
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ⅓ cup halved and pitted Kalamata olives
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Hefty pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To assemble the salad: In a medium serving bowl, combine the arugula, cubed watermelon, feta and olives.
- To prepare the vinaigrette: In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until blended. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary, keeping in mind that the salad contains some salty ingredients.
- Wait until you’re ready to serve to dress the salad, since the arugula will start wilting once it comes into contact with the vinaigrette. Whisk the vinaigrette one more time, then drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over the salad. Gently toss to combine. Add more vinaigrette if necessary to lightly coat the arugula (I only needed about half of mine and saved the rest for a future salad). Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Blvd Tavern in Kansas City.
Make it dairy free/vegan: You could probably replace the feta with additional olives.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This looks amazing, will have to give it a whirl!!
Thank you!
Thank you, I will trying this .
Love,love,love all your recipes!!!!
Thank you, Gabriela!
I made the spaghetti squash burrito bowls for my mom, sister, kids and niece last night and EVERYONE – age 17 to 76 – loved them. Not surprising for the younger generation but really surprising for my meat and potato-generation mom. Might be the first vegetarian meal she ever had and she raved about it. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. I’ve tried about a half dozen and they’ve all been hits. My husband likes the vegetarian burritos better than the chicken ones I used to make.
Laurel, that’s fantastic to hear! Thank you for letting me know. :)
I had a similar salad in Pismo Beach this summer and was obsessed with the flavors. Thanks for this recipe so I can recreate at home!
Yay! Hope you love it.
I added pine nuts and pickled onion…..yum yum. Didn’t need the dressing. Love your site as I’m trying to clean up my eating but love food so it has to taste great! Your recipes fit the bill!
Those sound like delicious additions! Thank you, Karen!
Definitely one of my favorite summer flavor combinations — just so darn refreshing!!
Right?! Thanks, Hannah!
I just LOVE watermelon in salads! You’re right – dinky salads are the worst, so I’m ridiculously to try this one before watermelon season is over!
Thanks, Alexa! Hope you get a chance to make it soon. Have a great weekend!
Lovely and light salad!
Mmmm looks delicious. I’m all about getting as much watermelon in my diet these next couple of weeks before they leave us for the winter!!
Me, too! You just reminded me that I have some leftover in my fridge.
This looks soooo good!
Going to recreate for my office tomorrow :D
Hope you enjoyed it!
Yes. I will eat this whole thing today, thanks!
I definitely ate the whole thing, too. :)
Best summer salad, and so easy! Taking it to some friends tonight!
Thank you for all of your creative & delicious recipes, Kate. You’re my hero!
Aw shucks, thanks Marie!
We just got a giant watermelon and a bunch of shallots from our CSA yesterday so perfect timing! Also gave me an excuse to try out a tofu-feta recipe from my happy healthy vegan cookbook – (miso/lemon juice/rice vinegar marinated) – this plus the salty briny olives this was the perfect, light late summer dinner.
Perfect! Thanks, Paula. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
OMG they make a version of the water melon salad at California Pizza Kitchen and Panera Bread! You had me at this salad! I am now subscribing!
Interesting! Hope you love this one, Caren!
I love watermelon in salads :) This is especially gorgeous. I never would have thought of putting watermelon and olives together, but you have my curious!
Thanks, Michelle! I wouldn’t have thought to add olives, either, but it was so good at the restaurant.
This looks so delicious I can’t wait for summer (following you from New Zealand) to try this. I am sure it will be a hit with my whole family.
Thank you, Hari!
Awesome salad, just perfect for lunch!
Thank you, Pratima!
Had this for dinner last night and it was fantastic. I used more watermelon than called for because it is the best fruit in the world, and spinach instead of arugula because we had a ton of it that I had to use up. I think it would be better with arugula, but it was still yummy with the spinach. I would definitely make this again. So easy and so yummy.
Thank you, Maggie! Glad to hear it.
Hi Kate! Where do you get your sherry vinegar? I’ve looked and I can’t find it at the normal grocery store
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry to hear that! I have bought mine at regular grocery stores and health food stores. Red wine vinegar would be the closest alternative!
Thanks for posting this recipe! Made it for dinner tonight…it was delicious! My husband loved it. Will definitely make it again
Awesome! Thanks, Denise. I’m glad you both enjoyed it.
Delicious as always
Thanks, Erin!
Hi Kate,
I’ve tried several of your recipes and love all of them. What can you substitute sherry of red wine vinegar with. Basically it has to be alcohol free. Thank you.
Hi, Samina! You could probably sub in balsamic or rice vinegar.
I thought it was really very easy to make, and super delicious. The contrasting flavors of the slightly spicy arugula, a super sweet ruby red watermelon we found, and the saltiness of the feta really worked beautifully together. Shallot vinaigrette very easy to make too. We did not have any olives, And it seemed fine without it. I have also had a similar salad with mint leaves in place of the arugula. Kind of a watermelon antipasto ….Also have had this salad with Parmesan, the shaved kind, instead of the feta. All are delicious! Thank you for making such a popular salad at my dinner party last night.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Liz. Thanks for your star review!
How long will this keep refrigerated? Any tips for packing this for lunches? Thank you!!
It will keep refrigerated covered, for a few days. I would avoid mixing the dressing until you are ready to eat each time as arugula can wilt once you add dressing and store. Hope this helps!
Once again a huge hit from Cookie and Kate. As a vegan I made a vegan feta using tofu (lots of recipes on line) but otherwise made it as described above. Big hit with guests, definitely a keeper!
Thanks for sharing, Gerry!
it looks delicious I have to try it
Thank you for your review!
Just made this for a pre restaurant gathering and we wolfed down the whole thing – plus seconds. After the restaurant, everyone agreed this was the best dish of the evening.
I do not appreciate your website information popping up on my screen unsolicited. I loved your recipe but do. It love the inability to close your window when it pops up.
Hi Kate! My husband and I absolutely LOVE your recipes… they’ve basically formed the bulk of our meals during the week ;) Do you happen to have any suggestions on substitutes for garlic/onions/shallots? My poor husband is sensitive to these at times and gets headaches on occasion from them. It’s difficult to imagine a recipe without them, but do you think your wonderful recipes would be just as incredible if we left them out?
Hi Taylor, sorry to disappoint I don’t have a great substitute. It depends on the recipes if it wouldn’t be too bad leaving them out. You can try it and tell me what you think!
I’ve never been a huge salad fan. I eat it but it just seems like a lot of chewing for a pile of…meh. I decided this week I was going to try to make a few unique salads and up the wow factor and this was the first one I tried. OMG! Wow! I like veggies but I have never said you know what I want… another bowl of salad. Consider that changed today.
I went light on the arugula because I grow wild arugula which is spicy… but I shouldn’t have because the combo of arugula and watermelon is AMAZING. Forget boring spring mix. Forget mint and watermelon. Just do this dead easy, super delicious salad. Doesn’t even need the feta (although that makes it extra special!)
Thank you for sharing what you thought of this salad, Jen! I appreciate your review.
This was so, so delicious!
Made with homemade tofeta, as opposed to feta.