A Seasonal Table post with Cindy Hattersley

Peppery arugula, salty feta, quick-pickled red onions, and a honey lime vinaigrette. Even if you are not a watermelon person.

I have eaten watermelon exactly once in my life.

I was young enough that I cannot tell you exactly when, old enough to remember that I did not enjoy it, and entirely certain I have not tried it again. It is too sweet, too watery, and I will just say it: I do not see what the fuss is about. Sweet watermelon is not my thing. Never has been.

My family, however, is another matter entirely.

Bill would eat watermelon at every meal if given the opportunity. Every summer, without fail, there is a whole watermelon sitting on the kitchen counter like a large, confident houseguest, a ripe watermelon on standby waiting to be cut, and a Tupperware of already-cubed pieces in the refrigerator to enjoy when the mood strikes. I buy them. I cut them. I arrange them in the container. I do not eat them. This is what love looks like.

So when my friend Cindy Hattersley and I decided to launch a new collaboration and July arrived with its incessant heat and the watermelon staring at me from the counter, it seemed only fitting. A watermelon arugula salad recipe built around the ingredient my family loves, with peppery arugula, pickled onions, good feta, and a honey lime vinaigrette that does what a great dressing should do: it pulls everything together.

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Introducing The Seasonal Table

Cindy Hattersley and I have been friends in the blogging world for longer than I can remember. We have decided to do something together this year that I am excited about: a monthly collaboration we are calling The Seasonal Table.

Here is how it works. Each month, Cindy and I choose one featured ingredient, something that is at its peak, and in season. Then we each go off and do something completely different with it. We do not coordinate the recipes. We do not compare notes. We simply both cook, both write, and link to each other so you can see two completely different directions from the same starting point. I should note that because of my challenged palate, we will only be sharing soups and salads.

This month, that ingredient is watermelon. It is peak watermelon season here in North Carolina so the timing is perfect. Cindy has made her own watermelon creation over at Cindy Hattersley blog.

Why This Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad Works (Even For Me)

The secret to a good watermelon salad recipe, so I have heard from the watermelon lovers in my family is contrast. Juicy watermelon on its own is sweet. Everything else in this salad is the opposite: the peppery arugula is sharp and a little bitter, the pickled onions bring tang and brightness, the feta cheese is briny, and the honey lime vinaigrette has enough acidity to keep the salty flavors and sweet ones in balance.

This is a delicious salad, or so I am told. It is the kind of thing that disappears at a summer party or a dinner party before anything else on the table. A great accompaniment to anything coming off the grill, and a genuinely beautiful one. I served this salad at a 4th of July barbecue and there was nothing left on the platter.

The pickled onions are the ingredient I feel most strongly about. You could use raw red onions and the salad would be fine. But quick pickle the onions, thirty minutes in a jar with red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar, and you have a completely different thing. They lose the harsh bite and keep all the flavor. They are worth the thirty minutes, and if you make a jar on Sunday, you will find countless uses for these pickled onions, on salads, tacos, and charcuterie boards.

A note on the vinegar: red wine vinegar is my preference for pickling here because it deepens the color of the onions beautifully. Apple cider vinegar works equally well and is slightly milder. Rice vinegar will give you a lighter, more delicate pickle. Any of the three will do the job.

The fresh mint is not optional. It is what makes this taste like summer. Go and cut a big bunch from your garden, you can use the extra to make yourself a watermelon mojito or margarita.

How to Pick Ripe Watermelons

Since I am the one buying the watermelons, I have absorbed this knowledge through sheer repetition and a little help from the people I meet at the store. Seedless watermelon is what you want for a salad. If you can’t find one you will have to do a little extra work and pick out the seeds or the guests will have to do it while enjoying the salad.

Look for the field spot, the patch on the underside where the watermelon rested on the ground while it ripened. You want it to be deep yellow or orange-yellow, not white or pale. Pick the melon up: it should feel heavier than it looks. Give it a thump with your knuckles. A ripe watermelon sounds hollow, like a drum. An underripe one sounds dull and flat.

This is now everything I know about watermelon. If you have any other tips please share with us.

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Pickled Red Onions

For the quick pickled red onions (make these first, they need at least 30 minutes):

Thinly slice one small red onion and pack it into a jar. Combine 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer. Pour over the onions, let cool, and refrigerate. They are ready in 30 minutes and keep for up to two weeks.

For the honey lime vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes), 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt, and 3 tablespoons good olive oil. Taste and adjust. If it is too sharp, add a touch more honey. If it is too sweet, a squeeze of lemon juice brightens it right back up.

For the salad (serves 4 to 6 as a side):

6 triangles of sliced watermelon, cold from the refrigerator

3 cups baby arugula

1/3 cup quick pickled red onions, drained

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled or in small cubes (block feta packed in brine is worth seeking out)

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn or julienned

Arrange the watermelon on a large platter or in a wide bowl. Scatter the arugula over the top. Add the pickled onions and feta. Scatter the mint leaves over everything. Drizzle with the honey lime vinaigrette just before serving, not before, or the arugula will wilt and the watermelon will begin releasing its water into the dressing. Serve immediately.

A Few Notes and Variations

Feta is the classic choice here. It is a salty cheese that plays beautifully against the sweet watermelon. Buy the block packed in brine if you can find it; pre-crumbled feta is drier and less creamy. Goat cheese is another option if that is what you have on hand. Blue cheese works for those who want something a little earthy. The only thing I would not do is skip the salty cheese entirely. It is doing important work in this salad, it offsets the sweetness.

Baby arugula is milder and works better in this salad. If you can only find mature arugula, give it a rough chop first.

For the dressing: Some versions of this watermelon feta salad use balsamic vinegar. A balsamic reduction or a balsamic glaze drizzled over the top adds a slightly sweet note. I went with honey lime because it is brighter and I wanted to add some of the mint from my containers. Both are a great way to go depending on what you are in the mood for.

To make it ahead: You can prep every component separately, cut the watermelon and refrigerate it, make the pickled onions (which keep beautifully for two weeks), whisk the dressing, and assemble at the last moment.

To serve: This is a side dish, and a lovely one alongside anything from the grill. It works equally well at a garden festival, a casual summer cookout, or a dinner party where you want something that looks more fancy than it actually is.

I cannot tell you it converted me. The watermelon is still not my fruit. But I can tell you the salad disappeared, which in this house means something, and that the pickled red onions were genuinely the best part, and that I have a jar of them in the refrigerator right now. In fact I always have a jar of pickled onions, I eat them daily.

Go visit Cindy at Cindy Hattersley Design to see what she made with her watermelon this month. And if you make this salad, if you are one of the watermelon people, which most of you probably are, I would love to know: is there a watermelon recipe that even a confirmed skeptic might reconsider? I ask with an open mind and absolutely no expectation of being persuaded.

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One Comment

cindy says:
July 16, 2026 at 8:26 am
Hello Eliz!
I am super excited about this collaboration as well. It is way over 100 here so I can’t wait to make your version of the fabulous watermelon salad. I am a huge arugula and anything with pickled onions has my heart!!

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Pickled Onions and Honey Lime Vinaigrette

Introducing The Seasonal Table

Why This Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad Works (Even For Me)

How to Pick Ripe Watermelons

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Pickled Red Onions

A Few Notes and Variations