Watermelon Salad with Balsamic and Blueberries
The delicious combination of fresh fruit and vinaigrette dressing is the perfect way to top a homemade salad! That's why this watermelon salad with balsamic is such an amazing lunch or dinner recipe. It features the sweetness of fruit and berries, salty feta cheese, and a homemade honey lime dressing to create a refreshing side dish or vegetarian recipe for your next dinner.
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What Do I Need to Make This Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Recipe?
You won't believe how simple it is to make your salad and fresh balsamic dressing at home. And since this easy fruit and arugula salad is made with a short list of simple ingredients, it can be ready with just a few minutes of prep work. To make your own sweet and tangy salad for lunch or dinner, you'll need:
- Arugula leaves - Use fresh arugula leaves, or substitute with baby spinach leaves or mixed salad leaves.
- Watermelon - Use fresh watermelon for this salad (seedless if possible), removing the rind of the watermelon and dicing the red section. The watermelon could be substituted with fresh sliced strawberries.
- Blueberries - Use fresh blueberries in this recipe. The blueberries could be omitted if preferred, or substituted with another variety of fresh berries.
- Feta cheese - Use your preferred variety of feta cheese, or substitute with another variety of soft cheese, such as baby mozzarella cheese or goats cheese.
- Red onion - The red onion could be substituted with another variety of salad onions.
- Mint leaves - Use fresh mint leaves, either as whole leaves or sliced.
- Olive oil - Use a good quality olive oil, or substitute with another variety of oil suitable for salad dressings.
- Balsamic vinegar - The balsamic vinegar could be substituted with another variety of vinegar, such as white wine or apple cider, however the dressing will loose its balsamic color and taste.
- Lime juice - Fresh lime juice tastes best in this dressing, however bottled lime juice can be used if fresh isn't available. The lime juice can also be omitted if desired.
- Honey - The honey can be substituted with maple syrup.
- Salt and pepper - For seasoning the balsamic dressing.
Looking for more delicious watermelon recipes? Give these reader favorites a try!
Refreshing Watermelon Raspberry Milkshake | Homemade Watermelon Strawberry Limeade | Light and Healthy Watermelon Salsa
How Do I Make Watermelon Salad with Balsamic?
Since there's no cooking involved in making this homemade arugula salad and balsamic vinaigrette, it can be whipped up in minutes. That means you can be enjoying a fresh salad with sweet and tangy dressing in no time! To make your watermelon salad, follow these simple instructions.
Step One: Make the Dressing
Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, and honey in a mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste, then set it aside while you prepare the salad ingredients.
Step Two: Layer the Salad
To prepare your watermelon salad, arrange the arugula leaves in an even layer across a large serving plate or in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Top the arugula with a layer of cubed watermelon, blueberries, crumbled feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion, and mint leaves.
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Step Three: Add the Dressing
Now that the salad ingredients are layered and ready to go, all that's left to do is add the balsamic vinaigrette! Whisk the dressing to mix the ingredients, then drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over the top of the salad before serving.
Before you can mix fresh watermelon into your salad, you have to cut it! Lucikly, it's not difficult to cut even a large watermelon if you know these tips and tricks:
- Chill the watermelon before cutting for cleaner slices.
- Cut off the top and bottom to help the watermelon lay flat on the cutting board.
- Stand the melon on one of the flat ends and slices off the rind.
- Cut the watermelon flesh in half and lay the flat side on the cutting board. Then, cut the watermelon into slices. After that, you can cut each slice into cubes for your salad.
Watermelon and Blueberry Salad Recipe Ideas
A salad with fresh ingredients and a light dressing is the perfect lunch or side dish for dinner! And since it's so easy to put together, you can make adjustments to your own salad recipe to create a delicious meal that's perfect for you. Try these recipe ideas as you're preparing your own salad and vinaigrette:
- Try different greens. Arugula pairs perfectly with the sweet fruit in this salad recipe. But it's not the only leafy green you can add to your meal! Try mixing in some spinach, green or red leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce, or romaine.
- Add more fruit. The combination of watermelon and blueberries is the perfect amount of sweetness in this salad. But if you want to give it even more fruity flavor, you could also add sliced strawberries, cantaloupe cubes, raspberries, or blackberries.
- Try different cheeses. The neutral flavor of feta cheese helps add a delicious texture to your salad. But if you're not a fan of feta, you could also try adding blue cheese, goat cheese, or baby mozzarella.
- Add some chicken. When prepared as written, this is a delicious vegetarian recipe. But if you want to add a little bit of protein to your dinner, try topping your salad with sliced grilled chicken.
- Toss before serving. Layering your salad ingredients is a fun way to display your finished recipe. But it may be easier to serve a crowd if the salad is tossed with the dressing before you serve it.
- Mix in more vegetables. In addition to adding more fruit, you can also mix in a few other vegetables to round out your homemade salad. Try adding chopped avocado, diced cucumber, sliced sweet peppers, diced jalapeno peppers, spinach leaves, or cherry tomatoes.
What Pairs Well with Watermelon Salad?
You can serve so many delicious sides with your sweet and tangy watermelon salad, making it the perfect addition to any meal! Try serving your salad with these other recipes to create a delicious and refreshing lunch or dinner.
- Grilled chicken
- Dinner rolls
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Pasta salad
- Chicken salad sandwiches
- Sweet potato fries
How Long Can You Keep Watermelon Salad in the Fridge?
Fresh salad is best enjoyed right after it's prepared. But if you have leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to two days. For best results, it's a good idea to keep the leafy greens (arugula and mint leaves) separate from the fruit and to store the dressing in a separate container.
Watermelon Salad with Balsamic and Blueberries
Ingredients
For Salad:
- 4 cups arugula leaves lightly packed
- 4 cups watermelon cubed
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup mint leaves
Lime balsamic dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad:
- To assemble the salad, arrange the arugula leaves over a large serving plate or over the base of a large salad bowl.
- Top with the remaining ingredients by layering the cubed watermelon, blueberries, crumbled feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion and finally the mint leaves.
For the dressing:
- To make the lime balsamic dressing, add to a mixing bowl the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime juice and honey. Whisk until well combined and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
