Watermelon Peach Salad with Pistachios and Feta

Delicious summer watermelon and perfectly ripe peaches come together with briny feta, crunchy pistachios, and bright, herbal basil, for a seasonal flavor explosion! You'll love the variety of flavors and textures these ingredients bring. Watermelon Peach Salad is equally great as a side dish or a dessert, and pairs well with any summer cookout.

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This is the fruit salad Summer begs for! Watermelon and peaches are both at their best now, and that's really what you want. Winter watermelon just doesn't have it for me.

Add this fruit salad to summer fare, like Black Bean Burgers, Lentil Baked Beans, and Red Cabbage Slaw.

Heart Health Benefits of Watermelon Peach Salad

Our fruit salad recipe combines multiple ingredients with known cardiovascular benefits. These benefits may include vasodilation, cholesterol lowering and LDL oxidation protection, as well as potential blood pressure reduction.

Of note, pistachios may be one of the best tree nuts to consume for heart health. Studies show both pistachios and walnuts to be better than other tree nuts at reducing triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol (1, 2), and may also help reduce systolic blood pressure (3).

Sodium could be an issue here, so make sure to choose either lightly salted or unsalted pistachios, since the feta cheese is also a sodium contributor.

Macronutrients

Watermelon Peach Salad is low in carbohydrates, high in monounsaturated fats, and a good source of fiber and protein. Pretty impressive for a fruit salad, actually!

Pistachios and olive oil help our recipe to be high in heart healthy fats, and both pistachios and feta cheese provide protein, helping to make this fruit salad a nutritionally well-rounded side dish.

Micronutrients and Bioactive Components

Bioactive compounds are substances that have effects within the body that promote good health. Here are some of the most abundant bioactive compounds in watermelon peach salad:

• L-citrulline - (in watermelon) an amino acid that get converted to L-arginine, and then to nitric oxide, which is a critical vasodilator that helps with vascular function and blood pressure regulation (4, 5);
• Lycopene - (in watermelon) a carotenoid (vitamin A derivative) with anti-atherosclerotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive effects (6);
• Chlorogenic acid, catechins, and epicatechins - (in peaches and basil) polyphenols with diverse functions like neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, antioxidant, blood pressure regulation, and reduced LDL oxidation (7, 8);
• Eugenol - (in basil) an essential oil that promotes blood vessel relaxation, thereby lowering blood pressure (9);
• Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids - (in pistachios and olive oil) types of fat molecules that can help lower LDL cholesterol, and provide nutrition to maintain and build your body's cells (10); and
• Hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein - (in olive oil) polyphenols that may be preventative against high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack (11).

Ingredients

Here is what you'll need for this watermelon feta salad recipe, along with some applicable substitutions and notes.

• Watermelon - the best summer melon you can find; cubed or balled
• Peaches - fresh of course, and sliced thin
• Lightly salted roasted pistachios - no salt is fine too. The feta provides salt to this recipe, so it's optional here.
• Fat free feta cheese - or vegan feta cheese for a vegan version
• Fresh basil - not dried; they do not taste the same
• Olive oil
• White balsamic vinegar - or champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar, or, in a pinch, apple cider vinegar
• Honey - or 100% pure maple syrup for a vegan version

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Fruit salads are wonderfully easy, and this one is no exception. Here's how.

1. Step 1: Cut the watermelon into small cubes, or use a melon baller to form balls. Slice the peaches thinly, and place the two fruits in a mixing bowl.

2. Step 2: Add the feta and pistachios.

Variations

Fruit salad has so many variations! That's why it's so wonderful. Here are a few to consider!

• Simple - combine the fruit with the feta and pistachios and call it a day; easy peasy and without whisking dressing!
• Spicy - skip the basil, and sprinkle a little tajin seasoning over the salad, or just plain cayenne pepper for more kick
• Other summer fruits to add - try cherries, nectarines, cantaloupe, honeydew, or any variety of fresh berries like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries

See this patriotic fruit salad version!

Equipment

Just a cutting board and knife, along with measuring cups and spoons are needed for this recipe!

Storage

Leftovers can be refrigerated, and should ideally be eaten within 24 hours for the best quality.

Food safety

Food safety is always top of mind! Here are some important tips for this recipe:

• Wash produce thoroughly, even if they have thick skins you won't eat (your knife and cutting board will still get contaminated with any dirt and germs on the skins!)
• Be careful of cross contamination - wash and sanitize counters and tools before starting
• Wash hands before beginning, and after touching face, hair, pets, etc. and any time they are dirty
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.