Watermelon, Almond Feta, & Arugula Salad

I am obsessed with two things right now! One: Watermelon, Two: Almond Feta. Last week was HOT in San Diego. We’re talking over 100 degrees & I am not a fan. I am a fan, however, of cooling down with some watermelon!

Last week during the heatwave we had a baby shower for one of my co-workers & ordered lunch from Panera. I jumped on the website & immediately took note of the Watermelon Feta Salad with arugula, watermelon, ancient grains, feta cheese, & sliced almonds. It was a look no further moment & I ordered it, sans feta. It was amazing & knew I had to recreate it with my absolute favorite new vegan cheese recipe.

I first discovered this recipe for Baked Almond Feta when I was making a vegan version of the spring fattoush salad from It's All Easy (Gwyneth Paltrow's latest cookbook). That first attempt barely made it on the salad. I practically shoveled the entire batch in my mouth, so I had to make it all over again. The best thing about this recipe is the “hack” ~ no need to soak & grind your almonds ~ just use almond flour! I recommend Bob’s Red Mill’s Almond Meal/Flour, as it appears they peel their almonds prior to pulverizing, & it has a smoother texture. For the latest batch of this salad, I used the almond meal from Trader Joe’s which yielded a more organic, & not so authentic-looking “feta.” It still tasted delicious, though.

I am not going to bother writing out a recipe as this is pretty self-explanatory ~ take a handful of arugula, chop up some watermelon, add an ancient grain (I used forbidden rice), crumble almond feta & add a sprinkle of sliced almonds, top with a dressing of choice ~ BOOM! I typically make my own dressing, but I cheated here & used a store-bought Honey Thyme Vinaigrette, but for future adventures with this salad, I’ll probably make an orange/mint/basil concoction.

And while we’re talking watermelon…

I made these refreshing Watermelon Caprese Skewers for a friend's summer evening poolside gathering & they were a hit, & so pretty. I used Miyoko’s new Fresh Vegan Mozz, chunks of juicy watermelon, a sprig of basil, & topped with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Perfection! I must say, I am gearing up for the fall & ready to give the summer heat thee ol’ heave-ho, but I won’t argue over a few more weeks to enjoy watermelon! xxoo