Low Sodium Watermelon Salad

Name: Low Sodium Watermelon Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced); 1 cup white vinegar; 2 tablespoons sugar; 5 ounces spring mix; 4 cups diced watermelon (about 1/4 of a large watermelon); 1/2 cup nuts (crushed, I used pumpkin seeds, walnuts also work); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon garlic powder

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This low sodium watermelon salad recipe is the perfect sweet and savory side dish! Juicy, ripe watermelon are cubed and mixed with greens, topped with a 5-minute salt free vinaigrette dressing and topped with nuts and quick pickled onions.

This salad takes just 20 minutes to make, and requires no cooking! It’s ideal for a picnic, BBQ, or gathering with friends and family. Everyone will love this refreshing tangy salad.

Want more low sodium salad recipes? Try our low sodium pesto pasta salad, low sodium burrata salad, and our favorite low sodium Thai crunch salad!

low sodium salad with watermelon, mixed greens, and pumpkin seeds on a plate.

Table of Contents

Summer is here, and with the hot weather I like to reduce the amount of cooking I am doing (limiting our stove/oven time) and make tasty and refreshing salads. And this is not your boring everyday salad – it’s bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables, and is BIG on flavor with no added salt. I was inspired to make this after having a delicious watermelon salad at The Italian Farmhouse in Bragg Creek, Alberta, and I had to make a low sodium version at home.

Start by dicing up ripe watermelon, preparing a quick 5-minute dressing, and tossing the greens and fruit together with some pickled red onions for extra color and flavor. I’ve made this salad a few times already this year (it’s delicious served with low sodium steak off the grill, or no-cook low sodium tomato sandwiches) and it’s a hit every time!

Why This Recipe Works

It’s light, refreshing, sweet, and tangy!
A great sweet/savory side dish everyone will love.
This versatile dish can be served as an appetizer or side dish alongside your favorite protein: chicken, beef, pork, or fish.
It comes together in about 15-20 minutes, so it’s a quick meal idea.
Follow our step-by-step photos below, anyone can successfully make this salad!

Ingredients You’ll Need

See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!

The base of this salad is sweet, ripe summer watermelon. I used about 4 cups cubed (about 1/4 of a large watermelon). You can cut up your own watermelon, or buy pre-sliced or cubed watermelon from the store if that is easier.

I used mixed salad greens, because I like the variety of lettuces in spring mix. You can use your favorite lettuce – baby spinach, baby kale, or arugula would all be delicious options.

I made my quick 15-minute low sodium pickled onions as a topping, which are bursting with flavor! Slice up some red onions and let them soak in some sugar and white vinegar, and add this great no-salt-added topping!

I used toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, but you could add walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds instead.

A quick salt-free vinaigrette dressing adds a wonderful flavor and tang! I used olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder. It only takes a few minutes to make, and pairs so well with the greens and watermelon.

Additions and Substitutions

If you have a store bought dressing that is low in sodium, you could substitute that instead.

And if you don’t have watermelon, or want to add another fruit some great options would be sliced peaches, pitted cherries, or mangoes, or sliced pears.

Make this salad a full meal, by serving sliced low sodium grilled chicken, low sodium pork chops, or low sodium grilled salmon.

How To Make This Recipe

a jar of thinly sliced red onions with white vinegar to make salt free pickles.

Step 1: In a small mason jar, add the pickled onion ingredients: thinly sliced onions, sugar, and white vinegar. Let them soak for about 15 minutes.

a cut watermelon being sliced and cubed for low sodium salad.

Step 2: Meanwhile, slice your watermelon, remove the rind, and cube the inner fruit into 1-inch chunks. Set them aside.

a salt free vinaigrette dressing in a mason jar for watermelon salad.

Step 3: Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together in a mason jar or a small bowl. Shake well to combine.

a bowl of mixed greens with salt free salad dressing on the top.

Step 4: In a large salad bowl, add the mixed greens. Pour the dressing over the greens, and toss.

dressed salad greens on a plate tossed with low sodium vinaigrette dressing.

Step 5: Add the dressed salad greens to a plate.

a plate of low salt watermelon salad low sodium salad with fruit.

Step 6: Top with the diced watermelon, crushed nuts, and the (drained) pickled onions.

Recipe FAQs

How much sodium is in watermelon salad?

This low sodium watermelon salad recipe has 62 mg sodium per serving, as it uses a homemade dressing and low salt ingredients. If you order watermelon salad at a restaurant, it likely will vary, so be sure to ask your server about nutritional information.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

You can make the pickled onions and the dressing ahead of time, but the salad is best assembled fresh.

How to choose the best watermelon

At the store, look for a seedless variety that feels heavy for its size and has a yellow spot, which is a sign that the watermelon is ripe.

low sodium salad with fresh watermelon and spring mix greens with nuts on top.

More Low Sodium Salads You’ll Love

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