Watermelon Arugula Quinoa Salad

This Watermelon Arugula Quinoa Salad recipe is made with juicy ripe watermelon and strawberries, arugula, cucumber, quinoa, pistachios and Feta cheese all tossed in a deliciously addictive honey lime dressing. It’s a favorite summer salad to make for potlucks, backyard barbecues and to simply have chilling in the refrigerator to enjoy on warm summer days. 

I love everything about this Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad! It’s juicy and delicious and the dressing is to die for! From your first bite, you’ll want to make it all summer long! 

Every bite of this salad is as flavorful and refreshing as it looks. If you’re looking for a light and healthy summer salad recipe to make for your next party, this Watermelon Arugula Salad is the thing! It’s full of fresh, organic fruit and arugula with a little quinoa tossed in for good measure. I like to serve it with grilled chicken or fish, but it’s also great with a sandwich or on its own for a light and low-cal meal.

Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad Recipe

• Arugula. We use organic baby arugula for this recipe. 
• Fruit. We toss in both watermelon and strawberries which gives this salad a bright fresh flavor.
• Quinoa. We added a little cooked quinoa to the mix for the added protein in case you want this salad to be a meal on its own. 
• Cucumber. We use English cucumber for this recipe, which adds a nice crunch to the mix. 
• Nuts. We toss in chopped pistachios (raw or roasted), but you could use almonds, pine nuts or another nut that you choose.
• Onion. I like to soak sliced red onion in water before adding them to salads. Soaking sliced (or chopped) onion in water takes the bite out of onion flavor so it doesn’t overpower the other flavors in the salad.  
• Cheese. We sprinkle in a little Feta cheese to this salad which adds a nice salty sweet touch.
• Herbs. We use both fresh basil and mint leaves in this salad which adds another layer of flavor. So good!
• Dressing. This salad is tossed with a really tasty Honey Lime Dressing.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Variations

• Dressing. We use our Honey Lime Dressing for this salad, but you could use another dressing like this Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Lemon Dressing or this simple Lemon Olive Oil Dressing.
• Nuts. Toss in sliced almonds or chopped Marcona almonds instead of pistachios.
• Cheese. Instead of Feta, use a honey goat cheese or a creamy Gorgonzola, or leave the cheese out altogether.
• Fruit. Toss in fresh blueberries instead of strawberries (or in addition to the strawberries).
• Quinoa. Leave out the cooked quinoa.

How To Make Watermelon Arugula Quinoa Salad

1. Whisk Dressing. Add all the ingredients to a mason jar. Seal the lid and vigorously shake to blend ingredients.
2. Cook Quinoa. This is my go-to recipe for how to make quinoa. Use 1/2 cup dried quinoa (rinsed) to 1 cup water. Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a pot, then put lid on the pot and reduce heat to low simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes then remove from heat. Set aside for 15-20 minutes for all of the liquid to evaporate before fluffing quinoa. This waiting for 20 minutes after cooking quinoa will give you light fluffy quinoa.
3. Prep Ingredients. Chop and slice the watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, onion and pistachios. Soak the sliced onions in a little jar or bowl covering them with water for about 15 minutes before tossing them in the salad. This takes the bite out of onion.
4. Assemble Salad. Add the arugula, watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, onion slices, pistachios and quinoa to a large bowl and toss. Drizzle the dressing around the bowl and toss the salad. Sprinkle in the fresh chopped herbs and Feta cheese and toss again. Enjoy!

Tips For Making The Best Watermelon Arugula Salad

• Chill salad and dressing separately before serving so everything is crisp and nice a cold.
• Toss the salad with dressing just before serving.
• Add in the fresh herbs and Feta after the salad has been tossed with dressing first so they don’t become weighted down by the dressing. After you add in the herbs and cheese, give it a quick gentle toss then serve.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead Of Time?

This salad can be prepped ahead of time, but store everything separately in the refrigerator until you’re ready to toss it all together and serve.

How To Store It

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it should last for one day if it’s been tossed with the dressing and up to 2-3 days without the dressing.

Choosing The Best Watermelon

• Rind health. You’ll want to look for a watermelon with a flat matte rind rather than a glossy or shiny rind.
• Yellow field spot. Look for the yellow field spot on the bottom of the watermelon. This is where the watermelon laid on the field and the yellow color indicates ripeness (and that it ripened in the field).
• Weight. Heavier watermelons are often juicy watermelons. Pick up different watermelons in the bunch to choose one on the heavier side for its size.

Storing Watermelon

How long a watermelon lasts, will depend on when the watermelon was picked and how it has been stored.

• Whole uncut watermelon should be kept at room temperature until ripe.
• Whole watermelon will last up to 10 days sitting on your kitchen counter at room temperature. 
• Whole ripe watermelon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
• Once the watermelon is cut or cubed, place the cut pieces of watermelon in an airtight container or place in a bowl or on a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Cut watermelon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 day

Want More Watermelon Recipes?

• Mexican Watermelon Salad
• Watermelon Agua Fresca
• Hydrating Watermelon Juice
• Watermelon Berry Granita
• Summer Melon Salad
• Watermelon Popsicles
• Watermelon Fruit Pizza

Looking For More Summer Salad Recipes?

• Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad
• Lentil Quinoa Salad
• Summer Corn Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Lemon Kale Salad
• Crunchy Detox Salad
• Mediterranean Bean Salad
• Romaine Salad
• Herbed Red Potato Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Mango Arugula Quinoa Salad
• Dill Pickle Potato Salad
• Italian Salad
• Best Quinoa Salad

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Yield: 6 servings

Watermelon Quinoa Arugula Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

This Watermelon Arugula Quinoa Salad recipe is made with juicy ripe watermelon and strawberries, arugula, cucumber, quinoa, pistachios and Feta cheese all tossed in a deliciously addictive honey lime dressing. It's a favorite summer salad to make for potlucks, backyard barbecues and to simply have chilling in the refrigerator to enjoy on warm summer days. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups baby arugula
• 2 cups watermelon, cut into cubes (about 1-inch)
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced into rounds
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup English cucumber, sliced into rounds
• 1/4 cup pistachios (raw or roasted), coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced and soaked in water
• 1/4 cup Feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
• Honey Lime Dressing

Instructions

For The Dressing

1. Add all the ingredients to a mason jar. Seal the lid and vigorously shake to blend ingredients. Or whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.

For The Quinoa

1. Use 1/2 cup dried quinoa (rinsed) to 1 cup water. Bring water and quinoa in a pot to a boil. Put the lid on pot. Reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and aside for 15-20 minutes for all of the liquid to evaporate before fluffing quinoa. This waiting for 20 minutes after cooking quinoa will give you light fluffy quinoa.

For The Salad

1. Chop and slice the watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, onion and pistachios.
2. Soak the sliced onions in a little jar or bowl of water for about 15 minutes before tossing them in the salad. This takes the bite out of onion.
3. Add the arugula, watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, onion slices, pistachios and quinoa to a large bowl and toss. Drizzle the dressing around the ingredients and toss the salad.
4. Sprinkle in the fresh chopped basil and mint and the Feta cheese and toss again.

Notes

Variations

• Dressing. We use our Honey Lime Dressing for this salad, but you could use another dressing like this Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Lemon Dressing or this simple Lemon Olive Oil Dressing.
• Nuts. Toss in sliced almonds or chopped Marcona almonds instead of pistachios.
• Cheese. Instead of Feta, use a honey goat cheese or a creamy Gorgonzola, or leave the cheese out altogether.
• Fruit. Toss in fresh blueberries instead of strawberries (or in addition to the strawberries).
• Quinoa. Leave out the cooked quinoa.

Tips For Making The Best Watermelon Arugula Salad

• Chill salad and dressing separately before serving so everything is crisp and nice a cold.
• Toss the salad with dressing just before serving.
• Add in the fresh herbs and Feta after the salad has been tossed with dressing first so they don't become weighted down by the dressing. After you add in the herbs and cheese, give it a quick gentle toss then serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 5g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.