This Watermelon Salad is the perfect refreshing summer salad! It's made with juicy watermelon, crisp cucumber, salty feta cheese, and fresh mint leaves. It's the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Whether you're looking for a light lunch or a side dish for your BBQ party, you'll love this salad!
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Why You'll Love This Watermelon Feta Salad
Refreshing - Nothing beats fresh produce when it's in season, especially watermelons in the summer! The mix of juicy watermelon, refreshing cucumber, and salty feta to balance it all out is perfect for hot summer days!
Simple and easy - There are only a handful of simple ingredients in this salad most of which can be found at the farmer's market. It's so easy to throw this salad together!
Main or a side - This salad can either be served as a light lunch of dinner or as a side at a BBQ, picnic, or any other get-together. I like serving it for lunch when it gets extra hot in the summer.
Ingredients
- Watermelon - Pick a watermelon that's heavy for its size, dull, uniform in size, with a yellow/orange field spot, and a dry brown stem. This will ensure it will be extra sweet and juicy! I like seedless watermelon, but that's up to your preference.
- Cucumber - Any cucumber works here. I recommend peeling it if it's not organic.
- Red onion - Red onion adds crunchiness and flavor. You can let it soak in cold water while you prep the rest of the ingredients to remove a little bit of the bite and make it less strong.
- Feta cheese - The saltiness of feta balances out the sweetness of the watermelon and adds some healthy fats. I recommend sheep or goat feta. Try to buy feta blocks, not pre-crumbled feta, whenever possible. Crumbled feta has unnecessary additives, and it's not as good.
- Fresh mint - Fresh mint compliments the other flavors really well here. I don't recommend dried mint, it won't provide the same amount of flavor.
- Dressing - Extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, black pepper, and a little bit of sea salt (optional) are all you need to allow all the other flavors to shine. I usually don't add the salt because the feta is salty enough.
Variations and Substitutions
- Shallots - If you want something milder in flavor than red onion, thinly sliced shallots are a great choice.
- Fresh herbs - You can add chopped basil leaves if you don't have fresh mint.
- Greens - Arugula or romaine lettuce would be a great addition to make it into a bigger salad. If you add greens, I recommend doubling the salad dressing.
- Berries - You can add less watermelon and toss in some blueberries or raspberries for added fruity flavor!
- Quick pickled red onion - If you don't like raw onions, add some pickled ones instead! You can pickle your own onions in just about 30 minutes!
- Balsamic glaze - Drizzle some balsamic glaze on top for extra flavor! You can also use balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice in the dressing for a stronger flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by peeling and dicing the watermelon. I like to cut it into small, bite-sized cubes. I recommend dicing the cucumber into similar-sized pieces for a uniform look.
- Into a large bowl, add diced watermelon, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, crumbled feta, and chopped fresh mint.
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- In a separate bowl or a cup, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, black pepper, and salt (if using) until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together gently to mix well. Serve on a serving platter or in a salad bowl, and enjoy!
How to Spot the Best Watermelon
- Dull - A ripe watermelon will look duller than shiny and should be dark green.
- Orange Field spot - Look for a big yellow or orange field spot. This means it's sweet and ripe. If the spot is very light or there isn't one, it could mean the watermelon isn't ripe enough.
- Uniform size - Round watermelons also tend to be sweeter than oval-shaped ones.
- Brown Stem - Green stem means it was picked too early and is not ripe enough.
- Heavy - Always pick a watermelon that's the heaviest for its size; this means it's extra juicy.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve the salad on its own as a light lunch or dinner or as a side. It's perfect served as a side for anything from the grill, at a picnic, or as a side for any summer lunch or dinner.
I like serving it with grilled chicken, meats, steak, or fish. It's a great side to bring to a potluck, and it balances any spicy and heavier dishes really well! I like serving it as a side with burgers and roasted veggies.
Storing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The salad will naturally release some water, but it will still be delicious!
FAQs
Yes! Simply swap regular feta for a vegan feta alternative.
Feta works best here because its saltiness goes perfectly with sweet watermelon, and no other cheese will give you the same flavor. You could also use fresh mozzarella here, but if you do, I recommend adding a little bit of sea salt to the dressing to make up for the lack of saltiness of the feta.
More Summer Salads
If you're looking for other great summer salads, check out the four linked below! The first four also combine cheese and fruit, and the last one is just my favorite side you can serve similarly to this salad. To see all the latest ones, head over to the Salads!
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Print📖 Recipe
Watermelon Feta Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Watermelon Salad is the perfect refreshing summer salad! Whether you're looking for a light lunch or a side dish for your BBQ party, you'll love this salad!
Ingredients
- 5 cups diced watermelon (1 small watermelon)
- 1 English cucumber, diced (approx. 2 cups)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 200g block feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp freshly squzeed lime juice (1 lime)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt (optional, feta is usually very salty)
Instructions
- Start by peeling and dicing the watermelon. I like to cut it into small, bite-sized cubes. I recommend dicing the cucumber into similar-sized pieces for a uniform look.
- Into a large mixing bowl add diced watermelon, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, crumbled feta, and chopped fresh mint.
- In a separate bowl or a cup, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, black pepper, and salt (if using).
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together gently to mix well. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Red onion: You can let it soak in cold water while you prep the rest of the ingredients to remove a little bit of the bite and make it less strong. Shallots are also a great option.
Feta: Use block feta if possible instead of pre-crumbled feta. I recommend washing it with cold water before crumbling to remove leftover salty brine. This will prevent it from being overly salty.
Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The watermelon will release quite a bit of water as it sits with the salty feta so this salad is best eaten right away.
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Gloria says
Sweet watermelon and salty feta are a match made in heaven. This is the perfect summer salad recipe. A hit at bbq parties.
Marta says
I love making salads when the weather gets too hot and this watermelon and feta version was the perfect way to cool down this weekend. I served it with toasted pita bread and the family devoured it.
Veronika says
This is my favorite Summer salad! So easy to make and so delicious, cannot wait to make it again ;)
Sean says
Watermelon salads are so refreshing and the addition of the feta was amazing. It was the perfect compliment for the watermelon.
Susan says
What a perfect salad for a BBQ I'm going to next weekend! The combination of the sweet watermelon with the salty feta is always such a huge win!
Erin says
I made this for a picnic today and everyone loved it! So refreshing in this heat. Will make again!
Moop Brown says
This salad looks incredibly refreshing and the mint is a nice touch as well. Seems like a great summer salad.
Hayley Dhanecha says
I made this watermelon feta salad for guests over the weekend and it went down an absolute treat! The flavours are incredible
Sangeetha says
I recently tried this watermelon salad recipe, and it was absolutely amazing! The combination of juicy watermelon, crisp cucumber, and tangy feta cheese was so refreshing and flavorful. The addition of fresh mint leaves gave it a delightful burst of freshness. It was the perfect side dish for a summer BBQ, and everyone loved it. I'll definitely be making this salad again and again. Highly recommended!