Watermelon Feta Flag Salad

TOTAL TIME: 25 min YIELD: 12 servings

Happy Fourth of July!! This refreshing salad is sure to become a fixture of hot-weather 4th of July picnics and outdoor dinners. The ingredients work together to help cool your body from the inside out while tasting delicious and looking festive!

Watermelon is used as an herb in Chinese medicine to help cool the body during the summertime. That’s why we naturally go for watermelon this time of year. 

Watermelon combats common summer ailments like excessive thirst, low energy, headaches and dizziness.  Watermelon is full of yummy juice, so it increases the amount of fluid in the body.  It can be so helpful in boosting our hydration levels that TCM practitioners will often prescribe it for heatstroke.  Composed of 93 to 96 percent water, watermelon allows the body to generate fluids, maintains electrolyte balance and induces urination, which is a very efficient way of clearing heat from the body.

From a TCM perspective Watermelon/Xi Gua has the actions of clearing summer heat, promoting urination, and resolving dampness.

Ingredients

VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

SALAD:

• 6 cups fresh arugula (about 5 ounces)

• 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

• 5 cups cubed seedless watermelon

• 1 package (8 ounces) feta cheese, cut into 1/2-in. cubes

Directions

• 1. For vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk the first 6 ingredients; gradually whisk in oil until blended. Stir in onion.

• 2. In a large bowl, lightly toss arugula with 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Arrange evenly in a large rectangular serving dish.

• 3. For stars, place blueberries over arugula at the top left corner. For stripes, arrange watermelon and cheese in alternating rows. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

photo and recipe credits to Taste of Home