Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

This summery, crisp watermelon-arugula salad with a homemade citrus vinaigrette is delicious and super nutritious!

Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette – This summery, crisp watermelon-arugula salad with a citrus vinaigrette is super healthy! | thecomfortofcooking.com

At the risk of sounding dramatic, my Monday was stinkin’ horrible. It was really one of those kind of Mondays, where it seems like everything is going wrong, everything is a chore and you just want someone to take care of you while you nestle under your covers with something delicious and a good book. I did just that, but not for as long as I would’ve liked, since things need to get done and life needs to move on.

If anyone has taught me to be tough, it’s my mom. Like she always says, “You have a little cry and feel sorry for yourself for a little while, and then you pick yourself up by your bootstraps.”

Well, mama, I’m up. A bit wobbly, but I’m up!

Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette – This summery, crisp watermelon-arugula salad with a citrus vinaigrette is super healthy! | thecomfortofcooking.com

What happened was that I got some news that will change my outlook on food completely, for the rest of my life. A difficult burden to bear when you’ve made your career out of cooking, baking and all things delicious, but my passion and persistence for doing what I love isn’t hindered, not at all. If anything, I’ll have more knowledge and appreciation for what’s on my plate, and I’ll be able to share it with you.

Things won’t change around here much, but let’s just say, I’ll be sharing more salads like this scrumptious one with fresh summer watermelon, arugula and tomatoes.

Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette – This summery, crisp watermelon-arugula salad with a citrus vinaigrette is super healthy! | thecomfortofcooking.com

This salad is a reminder to me that food can be so incredibly nourishing, simple and lovely all at the same time. Every bite is a bit of sweet-salty bliss with crispness from the melon, sweetness from the tomatoes, and tang from the goat cheese. It’s a reminder that, though I now look at food through a slightly different lens, I’m in no way deprived… and I certainly won’t be depriving my lovely readers!

You’ll love this colorful, cheerful salad for weeknights or even casual dinner parties. The quick and easy honey-lemon vinaigrette adds a wonderful tart, citrusy flavor that balances well and makes for a mouthwatering meal with grilled fish or chicken on the side. If you’re not big on goat cheese, toss in some soft mozzarella. Sprinkle on fresh basil for a fragrant touch, too.

Thank you for reading along and always being there, foodie friends! I’m in the midst of a major life change, but rest assured, you’ll only notice healthier and more delicious recipes from here on out… with a little naughtiness thrown in from time to time!

Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

Yield: 4

Ingredients

For the Watermelon & Feta Arugula Salad:

  • 4 cups loosely packed arugula
  • 1 lb. fresh watermelon, cut into chunks or scooped with a melon baller
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 oz. feta, crumbled
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all of the salad ingredients together, toss and place on serving plates.
  2. In a small bowl or container with a spout, whisk ingredients for vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Drizzle over salad plates and serve.
  3. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Join the Conversation

  1. Sorry about your stinky Monday! Hopefully the week gets better from here on out!

    Now this salad – yes and yes! I love added watermelon to salads – such a refreshing, summery touch!

  2. I love watermelon, this is delicious :D
    Such a summery salad!

    Glad to be back!
    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  3. You really can never win on Mondays so it is even worse when they are extra sucky. :( I hope you had a giant helping of this salad to turn it around a little bit. Watermelon is like the bacon of fruit: it makes everything better!

  4. Sorry you had a bad Monday, dear. :( But this salad certainly looks like it would make any day brighter! Love the simplicity of this vinaigrette.

  5. Love how simple this is! And colourful. Such an awesome salad!

  6. Sorry to hear about your crappy Monday! Hope the week turns around for you!

    I love this simple gorgeous salad! All the colors and flavors sound amazing and feta cheese is always a winner!

  7. What a stunning salad! Going to make this tonight!!!

  8. What a delicious combo–I’d love to eat dishes like this every day, honestly!

  9. Glad you are up and moving. When the going gets tough, the tough get going :)

  10. Absolutely beautiful! I could eat this every day!

  11. I’m sorry you had a bad Monday! I seriously think Monday’s are the worst day to have a bad day …. since it’s a Monday to begin with! I adore salads like this – and I have been all about watermelon salads this summer. Looks delicious!

  12. I’m so sorry to hear your week was not off to a good start. But! This salad looks amazing and basically, whatever you choose to share on your blog I will love. That is a fact. :)

  13. I’m so sorry that you received from not-so-great news – no matter what you post, whether they be salads or treats, I know they will be delicious and beautiful! :) Your readers are here for you!

  14. Cathy O'Connell says:

    Be well Georgia. I’m sure if your dietary needs have changed you will rise to the occasion and come up with scrumptious and comforting recipes to meet your new needs. You may find that a lot of your favorites can be tweaked or revamped!

    I often have to change/modify recipes to meet my dietary needs too so I always look for inspiration to make life more interesting.

    Take care … We’ll be following to see how you are and to see what’s cooking!

  15. Mondays can be hard and I’m sorry you had it rough! Hopefully it’ll get better for you. This salad is a looker! I love the flavor combination going on here. Watermelon and feta? Divine!

  16. I wish you the best, Georgia, and I’m sorry that you have to go through this. Dietary constraints can be very difficult — I had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy and got a small taste of what that would be like. Not easy, but very doable. The best part is, your healthy food like this is at the top of my list — fresh, wholesome, and flavorful. Who can argue with those colors and how great dishes like this make you feel? Not me! Take care.

  17. I know how you feel.. I’ve been there too! It really is overwhelming initially, then you realize, there is nothing you cannot conquer if you put your mind to it. If food can harm, food can also heal! You will figure it out and you have your wonderful readers to cheer you on!
    The salad looks beautiful and I now have a great recipe to use up all the tomatoes, arugula and feta cheese I’ve been trying to!

  18. Oh, girl…so sorry to hear about your wicked Monday blues. No fun. But, I hope your newfound perspective is life motivating. No matter what, you have strength to endure and talents to share on this beautiful blog of yours. You are surrounded by cheerleaders to cheer you onward…your fellow food lovers. There is no doubt you will continue to inspire others. Meanwhile, gorgeous and tasty salad! As always, I just love your styling and photography. Have a great rest of the week! xo

  19. Sending you lots of good thoughts Georgia – I love your mom’s advice. She’s one wise woman.

  20. Gorgeous summery salad, I wish I had a big bowl for lunch!

  21. Oh boy – I’m sorry to hear that you got some unsettling news but I have a feeling you are very resilient and with your talent in the kitchen, you’ll have no problems adapting. About 2-3 years ago, I dropped some weight and got a bit more educated and now I focus on healthy and realize that can mean totally delicious too. I taste flavors I never noticed before because my palate just got a lot more sensitive. That said, it is hard to “watch” it and not indulge to the fullest like I really want to but, overall, I think it’s good and it’s really about balance. This salad looks great and looking forward to fresh ideas from your space here. Take care!

  22. Really sorry about your blues. I can’t imagine your sweet face with tears..But the best part is you got up and cheered up as you mama said. Looking forward to more healthy sutff from you and I am sure it will be great and with hints of naughtiness;) Take care.

  23. Yeah food and health can be a life changer and it’s hard!!! But this salad would make me feel better, it’s beautiful!

  24. Sorry to hear about your Monday, Georgia. Hopefully, it will all get better soon. Your salad is definitely cheerful and looks refreshing!

  25. Sorry to hear you had one of those days! This salad looks gorgeous and I will look forward to seeing more beautiful healthy foods!

  26. Bad days are always bad but somehow so much worse on a Monday. Hope your week is improving. Awesome looking salad.

  27. I’m so sorry to hear about your bad news… It sounds like you are restricted to eat certain things or need to avoid some food for your health. :/ You will continue to make beautiful and delicious thing no matter what. :) Sending positive energy to your way. Gorgeous salad as always!

  28. Oh no! I hope the rest of your week has been a little better than Monday!!! On the bright side, this salad looks seriously scrumptious! I wouldnt mind eating this every day!

  29. I’m sorry to hear you’ve had some bad news about what you can eat now, be well and take care of yourself. xo

  30. Gosh, I love watermelon. I don’t know why I don’t make more things with it. You salad looks beautiful. Your food always so colorful, enticing and so refreshing :-)

  31. How did you know that I have all these ingredients in my fridge? I do and am having this for dinner along with a glass of crispy cold wine. Thanks for the idea. Beautiful colors.

  32. Colorful, light, healthy… in other words… a total winner!! :)

  33. Your melon balls look so perfect. I need to practice because the last time I tried it I ate watermelon with “sort of” holes in it for days. :)

    Gorgeous salad!

  34. 5 stars
    Such a gorgeous looking dish! Beautiful colours! :)
    P.S. just discovered your blog … and I reckon I’ll be spending a lot of time on here! x

  35. sorry about your bad news but i hope things are looking cheerier now. this salad looks amazing!

  36. Just by the look of it makes me crave for it. It looks so delicious and healthy.

  37. 5 stars
    I love all the flavors going on in this salad, Georgia! Simply beautiful.

Leave a Reply to Cathy O'Connell

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close
The Comfort of Cooking © Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
Close
Skip to Recipe