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Celebrate watermelon season with this light and flavorful salad tossed in a bright white balsamic vinaigrette.
During a getaway to Santa Barbara last month, Barclay and I took a day trip to Ojai and completely fell in love with the picturesque, laid-back little town. We wandered from shop to shop, stopped into a handful of cute cafés and wineries, and soaked up the California sunshine. But the unexpected standout of the day? A fresh watermelon salad from a sweet spot called Little Gem. ♡
It was everything a summer salad should be — juicy watermelon, peppery arugula, salty feta, crunchy nuts, and crispy shallots, all tossed together in a light and tangy vinaigrette. We couldn’t stop talking about it the rest of the week! So as soon as we arrived home, I started testing my own version, and it has quickly earned a permanent spot in our rotation during watermelon season.
It’s fresh, simple, and perfectly balanced with vibrant flavors — the kind of recipe that works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for a backyard cookout with friends. I highly recommend taking the extra few minutes to fry up a batch of your own crispy shallots, which add so much flavor here, but you can also just grab a bag at the store (we like the ones from TJ’s) if you’d like to save a step. Let’s make some salad!
Recipe Variations
This watermelon salad is endlessly adaptable, so feel free to mix and match ingredients to suit your taste or whatever you have on hand. For example, feel free to:
Add a protein. Top the salad with grilled shrimp, chicken, or even prosciutto if you’d like to add a protein.
Add some grains. Stir in a big scoop of cooked quinoa, farro or couscous to make it more hearty.
Amp up the heat. Thinly slice a jalapeño or drizzle in a bit of hot honey or chili crisp if you love a sweet-and-spicy vibe.
Mix and match your greens, cheese, nuts or onions. Swap the arugula for baby spinach, spring mix, or Romaie. Try creamy goat cheese, cotija, or fresh burrata instead of feta. Use toasted almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pepitas in place of pistachios. And if you’d rather skip the crispy shallots, you can just use thinly sliced raw shallots instead.
Use grilled watermelon. For a hint of smoky flavor, quickly grill thick slabs of watermelon before dicing — just a minute or two per side.
1/4 cup (about 0.25 ounce) julienned fresh mint leaves
White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette.In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
Assemble the salad.In a large mixing bowl, combine the watermelon, arugula, feta, half of the pistachios, half of the shallots and mint. Drizzle evenly with the vinaigrette. Toss very gently until combined.
Serve.Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining pistachios, crispy shallots, and an extra twist of black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe inspired by the watermelon salad at Little Gem in Ojai — be sure to stop in and try theirs if you’re in town!
