Grilled Watermelon Salad With Balsamic Dressing
This grilled watermelon salad recipe is made with simple ingredients like strawberries, avocado, feta, basil, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It’s easy, refreshing, and absolutely delicious! Recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, and meant to be enjoyed as a side salad.
There’s no shortage of refreshing salads filled with sweet, juicy, and seasonal fruit on this website. They’re some of my favourite things to eat in the summer, and the ingredient combinations are endless. Today I wanted to put a little twist on these salads, by grilling the star ingredient: watermelon!
Grilled watermelon changes up the flavour profile of fresh watermelon, making it a little bit smokey and more savoury. It’s delicious and pairs really well with the other simple ingredients of this recipe. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Want more summer salad recipe inspiration? Check out my roundup of 20+ easy, healthy summer salad recipes for more ideas!
Ingredients Needed
All you need to make this watermelon salad recipe are 11 simple, healthy ingredients:
- watermelon
- strawberries
- avocado
- arugula
- feta cheese
- fresh basil
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- lemon juice
- garlic powder
- honey
Full measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card below!
How To Grill Watermelon
Grilling watermelon is super simple! All you need to do is:
- Slice watermelon into 1-inch slabs. Remove rinds.
- Brush each side with some olive oil.
- Place on the grill for about 3 minutes per side, or until grill marks form.
- Remove from grill, allow to cool till it’s comfortable to touch, and then chop into pieces to add to this salad 🙂
Can You Use Fresh/Raw Watermelon Instead?
If you don’t feel like turning on the grill (it can really be too hot sometimes!) or if you feel like throwing together this salad super quickly, feel free to just use fresh watermelon.
While grilling watermelon gives it a bit of a unique taste, it’ll be equally delicious when fresh!
Can You Make This Salad In Advance?
This is not the best salad to make in advance or to keep leftovers of. Because of the nature of watermelon, it can get a bit soggy/watery.
That said, you can certainly prepare the ingredients a few hours before you want to serve it. Simply chop everything up, make the dressing, and store everything separately in the fridge.
If you grill the watermelon in advance, simply drain any excess liquid that comes about in the storage container (or use fresh watermelon instead).
Throw everything together just before serving!
Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps
- For a vegan option – swap the feta cheese with a vegan feta. For the dressing, you can swap the honey for maple syrup.
- You can use another leafy green like baby kale, baby spinach, or a spring mix in place of arugula if you’d prefer.
- Chopped raw cucumbers or other berries (blueberries/raspberries) would work great in here too!
- You can use a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette or even a balsamic glaze/reduction in place of the homemade version listed here.
- If you’d like to bulk up this salad, you could try throwing in a cooked grain. Quinoa, farro, or even couscous would work well!
Watermelon Nutrition Benefits
True to its name, watermelon is mostly made up of water. In fact, the fruit is about 91% water, making it super hydrating! It’s just perfect for those hot summer days.
Watermelon is also a source of various vitamins + minerals, such as:
- vitamin C
- potassium
- copper
- vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
- vitamin A (beta carotene)
More Refreshing Salad Recipes
- Cantaloupe Melon Salad With Cucumber & Feta
- Grilled Nectarine Salad With Burrata
- Summer Salad With Corn, Strawberries & Avocado
- Shaved Raw Zucchini Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
- Strawberry, Tomato & Avocado Salad
- Watermelon, Feta & Arugula Salad With Blueberries
Did you give this Grilled Watermelon Salad Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Grilled Watermelon Salad With Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 a mini watermelon (seedless if possible)
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (to brush watermelon)
- 4 cups arugula, packed
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, halved or quartered
- 1 medium avocado, cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ~10 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 a lemon, juice only
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2-3 cloves minced garlic)
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium heat.
- Slice watermelon into 1-inch slabs and remove rinds. Place on a plate and brush each side with olive oil. Transfer slabs to the grill and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes each side, undisturbed, or until grill marks form.
- Remove watermelon from grill and allow to cool until comfortable to touch. Chop slabs into roughly 1/2-inch cubes.
- Make balsamic dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid and shaking vigorously. Alternatively, you can whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Plate salad with arugula, strawberries, grilled watermelon, avocado chunks, feta, and fresh basil. Toss with balsamic vinaigrette and season with additional salt + pepper, as desired. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- If you don’t feel like turning on the grill (it can really be too hot sometimes!) or if you feel like throwing together this salad super quickly, feel free to just use fresh watermelon. While grilling watermelon gives it a unique smokey/savoury taste, it’ll be equally delicious when fresh!
- For a vegan option – swap the feta cheese with a vegan feta. For the dressing, you can swap the honey for maple syrup.
- You can use another leafy green like baby kale, baby spinach, or a spring mix in place of arugula if you’d prefer.
- Chopped raw cucumbers or other berries (blueberries/raspberries) would work great in here too!
- You can use a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette or even a balsamic glaze/reduction in place of the homemade version listed here.
- If you’d like to bulk up this salad, you could try throwing in a cooked grain. Quinoa, farro, or even couscous would work well!
- This is not the best salad to make in advance or to keep leftovers of. Because of the nature of watermelon, it can get a bit soggy/watery.
- That said, you can certainly prepare the ingredients a few hours before you want to serve it. Simply chop everything up, make the dressing, and store everything separately in the fridge.
- If you grill the watermelon in advance, simply drain any excess liquid that comes about in the storage container (or use fresh watermelon instead).
- Throw everything together just before serving!
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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