This watermelon salad is full of sliced cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese and mint, all tossed in an easy lime dressing. A simple yet unusual summer salad that’s sure to get rave reviews.
When I need a fresh and colorful salad for a warm day, I turn to favorites such as mango salad, cucumber tomato salad, caprese salad or chopped vegetable salad.
Watermelon feta salad is one of those flavor combinations that sounds odd, but just works SO well together. Add some crisp and refreshing cucumbers and mint to the mix, and you’ve got a fresh and colorful summer salad recipe that everyone will love. Serve your salad along with other summery main course options such as huli huli chicken, smoked ribs or cilantro lime chicken. Looking for a sweet finish? Check out my list of 30 summer dessert recipes!
Table of Contents
Watermelon Salad Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese, mint, olive oil, lime juice, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Watermelon Salad?
Slice the watermelon into cubes. Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds. Place the watermelon, cucumber and mint in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add a sprinkle of feta cheese, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Salad
- It can be temping to buy the pre-crumbled feta because it’s more easily available and ready to just dump into a salad. However, the blocks of feta are much more flavorful even if they take a touch more work to crumble up before adding to the dish.
- You can use any type of cucumber in this recipe. If you use a standard waxy cucumber like the type shown in these photos, I recommend peeling it and removing the seeds. Other varieties of cucumber such as English and Persian cucumbers do not need to be seeded or peeled.
- I cut my watermelon into chunks because it’s quicker and easier that way. However, you can use a melon baller if you’re looking for a more elegant presentation for your watermelon feta salad.
- Buy a seedless watermelon to cut down on prep time!
- I add the mint at the very last second, as cut mint can turn brown over time. Small, whole mint leaves or thinly sliced pieces of mint are best suited for this watermelon salad.
Quick Tip
Watermelon salad is best when enjoyed the same day that it is made, as it can become watery if it sits for too long.
Recipe FAQs
First cut the watermelon and half, and place each half cut side down on a cutting board. Use a knife to slice away the outer green peel and inner white rind. Finally, cut the watermelon halves into thick slices, and then into cubes from the slices.
Watermelon pairs well with both sweet and savory flavors. It is a great counterpart to salty cheese such as feta, and the flavor of watermelon is enhanced by citrus such as lemon or lime. This fruit also stands up well to spicy flavors, and is fabulous when served with a little chili lime seasoning.
You can cut up the watermelon and cucumbers and make the dressing the day before you plan to serve your salad. Keep all the components separate until you’re ready to serve.
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Watermelon Salad Flavor Variations
While this salad is delicious as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Fruit: You can substitute the watermelon for other types of fruit such as cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes or mango. Or you can use a combination of watermelon with a second type of fruit. You can also stir in a little avocado for a creamier flavor.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies to the mix! Some great options include red onion and jicama.
- Cheese: No feta on hand? You can use a different type of crumbly aged cheese such as cotija or ricotta salata.
- Greens: Feel free to add some greens to your watermelon salad; my favorite options are arugula or baby spinach.
- Dressing: Lemon juice can be used instead of lime juice in the dressing. Another great option is to add a small drizzle of balsamic glaze over the finished salad.
- Herbs: Try using fresh basil instead of mint leaves.
This watermelon salad is a must-try during the warmer weather months, and it’s great for potlucks. I find myself making it almost every week, it’s one of my favorite ways to use summer watermelon!
More Watermelon Recipes You’ll Love
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Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber
Ingredients
- 3 cups watermelon cubed or balled
- 1 1/2 cups sliced cucumber peeled and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons mint thinly sliced or small mint leaves
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the watermelon, cucumber and mint in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the melon mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta and serve.
Notes
- I recommend using a block of feta cheese versus the crumbled kind that comes in tubs, as I find the block of cheese has more flavor.
- If you use a standard waxy cucumber you’ll want to peel it and remove the seeds. Varieties such as English and Persian cucumbers do not need to be peeled or seeded.
Love the watermelon salad. First time I made it. We made it lots of times.