A red, white, and blue watermelon flag salad is perfect for patriotic-themed cookouts and will easily feed a crowd. Learn how to make it just in time for the 4th of July!
The 4th of July is almost here and I am SO excited. Y'all. This may sound like blasphemy but I need to just go ahead and put it out there: *whispers* the 4th of July is my favorite food holiday. Did you hear that? Now that I've said it, let me say it a bit louder: "the 4th of July is my favorite food holiday!!!" It always has been. I know, weirdo. Maybe it's because I love summertime so much or being outside, or warm weather, or holidays that involve a high likelihood that you will be around a body of water. Or maybe it's because SUMMER FOOD IS THE BEST. Seriously though, just give me a hot and juicy burger, some watermelon or fresh cherries, kettle chips and a big bowl of fruit cobbler with homemade ice cream and I will die a happy gal.
My mom knows this about me and totally gets it. We are spending the 4th with my family this year and I've been planning the menu since MAY. And since we will likely have 10-12 people around, I've got to pick dishes that are fairly easy to put together and make enough to serve a lot of hungry bellies. We celebrate food BIG TIME in my family, so the potential for leftovers is not very likely! This is where today's recipe comes in: watermelon flag salad. It's a twist on the watermelon, feta, and arugula salad that I've made and loved for a while now, with the addition of my new fresh mint vinaigrette recipe. So go ahead and grab the biggest platter that you have, preferably one in the shape of a rectangle (I use and love this one), and let's get to work!
Watermelon Flag Salad Ingredients
- Arugula - the peppery notes from the arugula add a savory element to this fruit-based salad. Now I know some people aren't the biggest fans, but hear me when I say that I've served this salad to arugula haters before, they actually end up enjoying it combined with the watermelon and cheese. So give it a try!
- Fresh basil and mint - the arugula gets tossed with some fresh basil and mint leaves to add extra flavor and interest. And because it is summer, and fresh herbs should be easier to come by.
- Blueberries - for the blue element, of course! When you purchase blueberries, be sure to gently press one between two fingers to make sure they are not too soft. I also like to try one before I buy, to ensure that the berries are juicy and crisp, with no mealy or graininess inside.
- Watermelon - you will need a medium-sized, seedless watermelon to feed 8-10 people in this recipe. A personal size seedless watermelon should feed 4-6.
- Feta Cheese - the combo of feta + watermelon + fresh mint is an all-time favorite of mine. While goat cheese is a little too tangy/ripe-tasting for my preference, feta is mild and has the perfect fruit-pairing flavor profile.
- Fresh Mint Vinaigrette - I just posted this recipe yesterday and plan to make it all summer! It's a great option for jazzing up any kind of fruit salad.
How to Make a Watermelon Flag Salad
This salad can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead of time and dressed right before you'd like to enjoy it. Here's how to assemble it:
- Mix arugula with fresh basil and mint leaves. If the leaves of the herbs are on the larger side, feel free to give them a rough chop before adding to the arugula.
- Line the outside edges of a rectangular dish or platter with the arugula and herb mixture.
- Arrange the watermelon and feta cubes in alternating stripes, beginning and ending with watermelon. The first two stripes will be about ⅓ shorter than the last 3 stripes, leaving room for a square shape of blueberries.
- Nestle the blueberries in the square that remains in the top left corner of the platter.
- When ready to serve, drizzle the top of the entire platter with fresh mint vinaigrette.
Storage Tips and Recipe Modifications
- Store the assembled salad in the fridge up to 4 hours before serving. Do not dress with the vinaigrette until just before serving.
- Leftovers can be kept in the fridge up to 2 days but will accumulate juices with storage. If that doesn't bother you, then you will likely enjoy the leftovers!
- Arugula substitutions: fresh baby spinach would be a great substitution for the arugula if you aren't a fan.
- Fruit substitutions: if you aren't a fan of watermelon, feel free to sub in a mixture of fresh cherries and strawberries, each cored/pitted and cut in half.
- Cheese substitutions: pearled mozzarella would be a really yummy, milder substitution for the feta cheese in this salad. For a stronger flavor, mix cubes of feta with slices of goat cheese.
- Make it vegan: substitute cheese with cubes of fresh jicama or dollops of cashew cheese.
Serve this salad with:
- The Best Homemade Hamburgers
- Mushroom Swiss Smash Burgers
- Peach BBQ Chicken Kabobs
- Easy as Pie Blueberry Cobbler
Are you ready to try this Red, White, and Blue Watermelon Flag Salad? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!
Recipe
Watermelon Flag Salad
Ingredients
- 10 cups watermelon cubes, about 1 inch in size
- 2 (8 ounce) packages feta cheese, cut into ¾’’ cubes
- 2 cups blueberries, washed and dried
- 8 cups arugula leaves
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup frehs mint leaves
- Fresh mint vinaigrette
Instructions
- Mix arugula with fresh basil and mint leaves. If the leaves of the herbs are on the larger side, feel free to give them a rough chop before adding to the arugula.
- Line the outside edges of a rectangular dish or platter with the arugula and herb mixture.
- Arrange the watermelon and feta cubes in alternating stripes, beginning and ending with watermelon. The first two stripes will be about ⅓ shorter than the last 3 stripes, leaving room for a square shape of blueberries.
- Nestle the blueberries in the square that remains in the top left corner of the platter.
- When ready to serve, drizzle the top of the entire platter with fresh mint vinaigrette.
Notes
Pin this, pretty please!
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