salted watermelon arugula salad with basil balsamic vinaigrette
Happy 4th week, folks!
I work most of the day on the 4th, but by evening I’m a free range nerd with, as of now, 0 plans. I’d think something will pop up and even if it doesn’t I’ll be content. I’m not a late night hooligan as is and fireworks don’t even excite me that much, but if we have a chance to host an afternoon shindig with food and drinks and maybe some splash time I won’t mind that one bit.
What about you – what’ve you got planned? Perhaps this Salted Watermelon Arugula Salad?
I was once a watermelon hater. I’m not sure what happened. In elementary school whenever classes ventured outdoors for any special playtime the teachers provided orange slices and watermelon, and I remember a kid dropping an entire vat of melon and me not giving a single damn. The oranges had my love. I side-eyed watermelon like I do the Boston Red Sox.
As many things do with age, watermelon flipped from a nuisance to a love. Nothing like a juicy knob of watermelon whipped into a Smoky Watermelon Margarita or big chunks laid in a cooler to nibble during the brash summer weather. Better yet, a salad tossed with only a few easy ingredients and a sassy vinaigrette of fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Bonus points – whipped lemony feta. Score!
Nothing to this salad, but one big point of advice I’ll offer is to not make this far ahead of time. Think mere minutes before serving. Watermelon, especially when hit with some big flaky salt, juices up very quickly and turns salad to some weird scarlet soup. Whenever you intend to set it out, be it with appetizers or the main course, is when you should start.
A good pairing, by the way – some Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Black Bean Burgers. Heat and sweet. What’s better than that marriage?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you’ve made!
Have some leftover basil from the vinaigrette? Here’s a few ideas:
Grilled Greek Salmon Skewers with Basil Chimichurri
Bubbly Basil Blackberry Tequila Cooler
Indian Coconut Basil Butter Chickpeas
Balsamic Blueberry Basil Smash
Ingredients
- 3 cups watermelon, about 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp thick salt
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cups arugula
basil balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and whip until emulsified, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into an airtight jar and keep for up to a week in the fridge.
- In a clean food processor, whip feta with olive oil and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom of a serving platter.
- Toss watermelon and arugula with 1 tbsp basil balsamic vinaigrette. Dollop overtop the whipped feta on the platter. Drizzle more vinaigrette, then sprinkle thick salt to finish. Garnish with fresh mint and basil leaves. Eat!
