Watermelon Salad with Lime Dressing

One of my all time favorite fruits is watermelon. I cannot wait for the hot summer months each year so that I can get a really ripe watermelon that I can snack on all week long! As a health coach I often get asked if watermelon is healthy, and the answer is yes! It can help with muscle soreness, regulating blood sugar, and lowering blood pressure. Why wouldn't you want to eat it?! Watermelon Salad with Lime Dressing is the perfect way to enjoy it in a more savory fashion.

This Watermelon Salad with Lime dressing is one of those salads you will want to eat all summer long. It makes the perfect addition to your main, along with any other summer salad that you might be making like broccoli salad, potato salad, or macaroni salad. It is sweet, crunchy, and has a slight tang from the lime dressing!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Hydrating: During the hot summer months, we all want something that can quench the thirst. Watermelon is a food that is nice and cool that does exactly this! It full of water and other electrolytes that can help hydrate our bodies.

No Cook: This recipe does not require any cooking which is a huge benefit during the summer when most people don't want to have to stand over the stove cooking.

Ingredients You Will Need

For the salad:

Watermelon: Watermelon is full of Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin A, fiber, and many other nutrients that are so good for us! It can help lower blood pressure, decrease muscle soreness, and even regulate blood sugars. It adds a delicious sweetness to this salad.

Arugula: This is a peppery, very distinctive flavored green that is apart of the brassica family (think broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts). High in calcium, potassium and folate (among other nutrients) it can help lower blood pressure, helps to prevent cancer, and helps reduce complications from diabetes.

English Cucumber: This cucumber is crisp and crunchy from the high water content. While it full of water, it is also full of nutrients, too! It has a very low glycemic index, which means it does not spike your blood sugar very much. It helps reduce your cancer risk, ease diverticulitis, and promotes hydration.

Feta: Traditional feta is made from sheep's milk, which can be more gut friendly for people who have an intolerance to dairy. While not considered dairy-free, it is a great option if you can tolerate small amounts of dairy. It is salty and briny and adds the perfect pairing for the sweet watermelon in this salad.

For the Dressing:

Olive Oil: It is really important to get a high quality olive oil and one that is 100% olive oil, the food industry likes to cut corners when it comes to oils so be sure you check your labels.

Lime Juice: This adds a nice tartness to the dressing to help balance out the sweetness of the watermelon.

Salt and Pepper: add as much or as little as you like. Everyone tastes is slight different when it comes to these two seasonings so start small and add more as needed.

Instructions

Chop the watermelon and cucumber into 1 inch pieces.

Combine watermelon, cucumber, arugula, and feta into a large mixing bowl.

Combine all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk.

Pour the dressing onto the salad and gently toss.

Serve and enjoy.

Tips and Tricks for Watermelon Salad

Serving: As we all know watermelon is very juicy, so all the juices will sit at the bottom of the bowl. I recommend if you are serving this at a party to put it in a large strainer with a large serving bowl underneath it so that the juices can drain and aren't served on to people's plates.

Recipe Variations

Various Cheeses: If feta is not your thing, goat cheese is another great option for this watermelon salad! It will be a bit creamier, but goat cheese does have a great flavor for this summer salad.

Dairy-free: This watermelon salad with no feta cheese is still a delicious salad! If you are avoiding dairy, all you have to do is leave the cheese off or use your favorite plant-based version. Your goal is that you want a very salty flavored cheese if you are going to look for an alternative.

Storage Tips

This watermelon salad with lime juice will be great in the fridge for 3-5 days, depending on how ripe your watermelon is. If your watermelon is a little over-ripe it will last closer to 3 days, while if it is recently ripened, it will last closer to 5. Be sure to cover it in a glass container.

You can also strain all the juices out before storing it and that can help to keep it fresher longer.

I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

FAQs About Watermelon Salad with Lime Dressing

What are the best dressing for watermelon salad?

Personally, I think a simple, acidic dressing is the best. The watermelon, feta, onions, arugula and cucumber all add so much flavor. There is no need to overpower it with a heavy dressing or one with tons of flavor. I use lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a quick, delicious dressing.

What pairs well with watermelon salad?

Watermelon salad goes well with any of your summer favorites! Whether you are grilling burgers, chicken, ribs, or just having a simple baked salmon this recipe goes well with it! You can bring it to any summer bbq and be confident it will pair well with whatever is being served.

What goes well on watermelon?

I have a similar answer to above for this question that I get a lot. Something briny and savory goes really well with the summer fruit. It is naturally very sweet, so there is a reason people salt it. You can think various cheeses, olives, and very simple dressings.