Watermelon Salad with Honey Basil Vinaigrette

This watermelon salad combines fresh watermelon, mixed greens, goat cheese, and roasted almonds for a simple balance of sweet, savory, and crunchy. It’s tossed with a honey basil vinaigrette for a light, fresh finish.

Watermelon in Salad

Watermelon may not be the first ingredient you think of for a salad, but it absolutely works!

Its natural sweetness and refreshing juiciness pair beautifully with crisp greens, especially in this combo with crunchy almonds, tangy goat cheese, and sweet cherry tomatoes.

This watermelon salad is TOO good and so fresh, perfect for summer when watermelon is at it's peak.

Key Ingredients

• Mixed greens - I just bought a clamshell of mixed greens, but you can totally mix it up or use what you have on hand. I also love to use butter lettuce and baby kale.
• Red onion - The sharp bite of red onion pairs great with the sweeter ingredients. If you find red onion too strong, try soaking the slices in water for a few minutes to mellow out the intensity.
• Roasted almonds - I started adding these crunchy bits to my salads after I had Chick-Fil-A's kale crunch salad and they are a game changer!
• Watermelon - It's best to make this salad in the summer when watermelon is in season. Be sure to cut the watermelon into smaller bite sized pieces, not huge chunks.
• Goat cheese - If you don't like goat cheese, feta is a good swap.
• Cherry tomatoes - For best results, use cherry tomatoes! They are sweeter than grape tomatoes and have thin skins. To me, they're worth the little bit extra in price.
• Honey basil vinaigrette - This homemade dressing is amazing! Be sure to blend it with an immersion blender to pulverize the basil into a smooth consistency.

Instructions

1. Make the dressing

• Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, basil, and a pinch of salt. My immersion blender came with a tall, plastic cup so I used that.
• Blend until the basil is pulverized completely and the mixture is smooth. Set the dressing aside while you assemble the salad.

2. Assemble the watermelon salad

• In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, red onion, roasted almonds, watermelon chunks, goat cheese crumbles, and cherry tomatoes.
• You can either serve the dressing on the side or you can drizzle on some dressing and toss the salad.
• Don't overdress the salad! You can always add more, but you can't take it out. And nobody likes a soggy salad with too much dressing.

Expert Tips

• You don't need to use all of the salad dressing! You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Transfer any leftover dressing into a mini jar or container and store in the fridge.
• Make sure to cut the watermelon into small chunks, about ½ to ¾ inch. Large watermelon chunks will weigh down the salad and be difficult to eat.
• If you plan to serve this salad at a party, serve the dressing on the side. Then everyone can dress their own salad.

Variations

• Greens - Feel free to use whatever combination you like! Baby spinach, baby kale, butter lettuce, mixed greens, and baby lettuces work great. It's nice to use a mixture.
• Nuts - Roasted almonds are my fave! But other crunchy nuts work good too, like pecans, pistachios, or walnuts.
• Cheese - Feta or gorgonzola cheese are both good swaps!

Salad Recipes

• Watermelon Fruit Salad
• Pomegranate Salad with Pears and Candied Pepitas
• Cherry & Arugula Salad
• Fall Kale Salad