Avant-Garde Arugula Salad

Watermelon-Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese and Pine Nuts

Makes 4 servings: 3 cups each

From the middle of June until the end of August watermelon is at its peak. This inventive, sweet-n-savory salad recipe highlights the pretty pink melon and should be enjoyed often. It’s an entrée salad, so there’s no need to worry about what meat to eat. Pair it with a bean or other protein-rich side dish for a delightful, planet-friendly meal.     

3 pounds seedless watermelon with rind

Juice and zest of 1 small or 1/2 large lemon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups baby arugula leaves

2 cups mixed baby salad greens or watercress

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup crumbled organic or locally-produced feta or fresh goat cheese

1/4 cup raw pine nuts or chopped pistachios

1. Scoop the flesh of the watermelon from the rind. (Save the rind for another purpose.) Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes. (You should have about 6 cups.)
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large serving bowl until combined. Whisk in the oil.
3. Drain the watermelon and add to the dressing. Add the arugula, mixed greens, and mint; very gently toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
4. Sprinkle with the cheese and nuts. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 260 calories, 19g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 10mg cholesterol, 440mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 5g protein

Little Green Cooking Tip

Juice (by hand!) a lemon half or halves. Then, use the lemon peel-up (peel used as serving cup) to serve freshly cracked black pepper for each person to pinch and season their salad or other foods to taste. If any leftover, store the lemon “peel-up” with pepper in the refrigerator for later use as a lemon-pepper seasoning.

Use It, Don’t Lose It

What’s the easiest way to get 3 pounds of seedless watermelon with rind? It’s about half of one whole round baby seedless watermelon. Save the watermelon rind to use as a very green serving bowl for the salad. And don’t worry about the teeny white seeds you’ll likely find in seedless watermelon; they’re soft and edible. But whatever watermelon you use, add the excess liquid drained from the cubed watermelon to a beverage, like fresh watermelon-accented lemonade.

Reprinted with permission from Big Green Cookbook by Jackie Newgent, RD (Wiley, 2009)