This fresh and simple fennel arugula and watermelon salad with green olive vinaigrette is filled with lots of cooling crunch.
Sweet, crisp and cooling, watermelon is a summertime staple. There’s nothing better than a refreshing slice of watermelon on a hot summer day. It’s certainly a welcome way to combat the often relentless heat that comes with the season.
And while it’s absolutely delicious eaten on its own it also shines in simple summer salads like this fennel arugula watermelon salad.
Sweet and savory this arugula watermelon salad is perfect on a hot summer day when you’re craving something light and refreshing. It’s a jumble of contrasting flavors and textures that makes a wonderful side or starter for any meal of the day.
Slices of sweet watermelon and crunchy shaved fennel sit atop a bed of pleasantly bitter arugula. The whole thing is dressed with a chunky and bright lemon olive vinaigrette that balances the sweet with a bit of salt.
Here’s how you do it:
First get yourself the juiciest watermelon you can get your hands on and cut that into wedges. Then thinly shave a fennel bulb on a mandolin (link) and toss that with some arugula. Next stir together finely chopped green olives (I like Castelvetrano), capers, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil to make your dressing. Then toss the fennel and arugula with half the dressing, top with the watermelon slices and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Finally a sprinkling of chopped pistachios on top pulls everything together and you are ready to serve.
Fresh and simple but with loads of flavor, this fennel arugula and watermelon salad is the kind of salad you can throw together at the last minute for a barbecue or a backyard picnic.
More watermelon recipes to try:
Serves 4
Sylvie Shirazi
Yields 4
This fresh and simple fennel arugula and watermelon salad with green olive vinaigrette is filled with lots of cooling crunch.
15 minPrep Time
15 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon/15g finely chopped pitted green olives
- 1 teaspoon salt packed capers, rinsed and finely chopped
- Finely grated zest of ½ a small lemon
- 2 teaspoons/ 10ml fresh lemon juice
- 1/8th teaspoons fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 ounces/112 g arugula
- 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced on a mandolin (reserve fennel fronds for garnish)
- ¼ of a seedless watermelon sliced into ½ -inch thick triangles
- 2 Tablespoons green olives
- 2 Tablespoons/15g finely chopped shelled pistachios
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, chopped olives, chopped capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
- In a large bowl gently toss arugula with half the vinaigrette. Place dressed greens on plate and top with fennel and watermelon. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and scatter olives and pistachios over top. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and finish with additional pinch of salt or pepper to taste.
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
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