This light and refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad recipe is the best quick and easy Summer side dish! Juicy watermelon, crisp cucumbers, feta cheese, red onion, and mint are tossed together for the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Serve this healthy cold salad at picnics, potlucks, and BBQs all Summer long!
Before you start turning up your nose to the idea of watermelon combining with seemingly savory ingredients, let me tell you…
I was right there with you.
That is, until I tried a bite of this epic flavor combo.
Who knew that cubes of juicy watermelon, crumbles of feta cheese, and fresh mint could be so GOOD together.
And not to mention, it’s SO very quick and easy to make. Yup, that means no more wondering what to make to bring to your next July 4th picnic or birthday party barbecue.
This watermelon feta salad will become your new GO-TO summer side dish!
Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the simple ingredients you will need to make this watermelon salad:
- Watermelon. You can either choose to cut a watermelon, or skip a few minutes of prep and purchase the already cubed and pre-packaged watermelon. Just make sure you select a seedless watermelon for the best salad.
- Cucumber. An English seedless cucumber is used in this recipe.
- Feta Cheese. Often I will tell you that certain cheeses are relatively interchangeable. For this recipe I would not advise swapping out the feta cheese for any other cheese. It has the perfect texture and tanginess that will really accentuate the watermelon.
- Mint. Fresh sweet mint, not spearmint, is finely chopped and added in just before serving. If you don’t have mint on hand, fresh basil will work, too, but will give this salad a very different flavor.
- Onion. Red onion gives a beautiful pop of color and a nice bite to counteract the sweetness from the melon. Feel free to substitute with sweet onion.
- Lime. Freshly squeezed lime juice is mixed together with olive oil to make the simple vinaigrette.
- Serrano or Jalapeño Pepper. This is completely optional, but if you want to add a secret kick to this salad, you can finely dice some serrano or jalapeño pepper. Just make sure to rinse and seed the pepper before mixing in so it does not overwhelm your salad!
How to Make
Here are the simple steps for making Watermelon Salad:
- Slice the watermelon.
Cut the watermelon flesh into ½-inch cubes. Make sure to check out this guide to learn tips for How to Cut Watermelon.
- Prepare the cucumber.
You can peel completely or partially peel the cucumber. Then cut into ½-inch cubes.
- Combine melon, cucumber, feta cheese, onion, oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Toss gently until ingredients are well incorporated.
- Mix in fresh mint if serving immediately.
If storing to serve later, reserve mint and add just before serving.
Preparing the Cucumbers
If you don’t like the skin on your cucumbers you can choose to partially peel it (like I did!) or fully peel the cucumbers before dicing.
As you’ll see in the image, I went ahead and removed the “seeds” that still remained in the seedless cucumbers. This part of the cucumber is rather juicy and will add extra moisture to your salad that will inevitably water it down.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: This watermelon salad is best when served within 4 hours of preparing. Wait to finely chop and add the fresh mint just before serving for the most flavor. You can add additional fresh mint leaves and crumbled feta for a gorgeous presentation, too.
- To Store: If you have leftover watermelon mint salad, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. But please note, the watermelon and cucumber will continue to release their juices and make the leftovers pretty soggy after a few days.
- To Freeze: This is not recommended as the texture of the watermelon and cucumber will change.
FAQs
The best cheese to pair with watermelon is feta cheese. The salty flavor goes perfectly with the sweetness of the fruit, especially in this salad. In general, Parmesan also goes well with watermelon.
This fresh salad can be served with many Summer dishes! Try it with grilled chicken, pork, shrimp, steak, or kabobs. Or, serve with a variety of cold salads like pasta salad, potato salad, and caprese salad.
You can, but it is not recommended to prepare more than 4 hours in advance. As the watermelon sits it will release juices and become soggy. Wait to add the mint until ready to serve.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Buy seedless. It’s best if you buy both seedless watermelon and seedless cucumber so you don’t get big crunchy bites in your salad.
- Keep the skin. Leave some of the cucumber skin on for a pop of color and a crunchier bite.
- Serve within a few hours. The watermelon and cucumber will release liquid and make the salad soggy.
- Use fresh lime. Freshly squeezed lime juice gives the best flavor.
- Make it spicy. Add in some diced jalapeño or serrano peppers.
- Garnish for flair. Sprinkle some extra feta and mint over the top for a beautiful presentation.
Other Easy Picnic Recipes
If you enjoyed this quick salad, you might also enjoy these other cold side dish recipes perfect for a picnic:
- Italian Dressing Pasta Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Cucumber Salad with Dill
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Chicken Salad with Grapes
- Avocado Egg Salad
Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint
This light and refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad recipe is the perfect quick and easy Summer side dish! Serve this healthy cold salad at picnics, potlucks, and BBQs all Summer long!
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon seedless
- 2 cups cucumber English seedless
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno finely diced, optional
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup sweet mint finely chopped
Instructions
-
Prepare watermelon by cutting into ½-inch cubes.
-
Peel or partially peel cucumber and cut into ½-inch cubes.
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Combine melon, cucumber, feta cheese, onion, pepper (optional), oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss until ingredients are well combined.
-
Mix in fresh mint if serving immediately.
-
If storing to serve later, reserve mint and add just before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: This watermelon salad is best when served within 4 hours of preparing. Wait to finely chop and add the fresh mint just before serving for the most flavor. You can add additional fresh mint leaves and crumbled feta for a gorgeous presentation, too.
- To Store: If you have leftover watermelon mint salad, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. But please note, the watermelon and cucumber will continue to release their juices and make the leftovers pretty soggy after a few days.
- To Freeze: This is not recommended as the texture of the watermelon and cucumber will change.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Buy seedless. It’s best if you buy both seedless watermelon and seedless cucumber so you don’t get big crunchy bites in your salad.
- Keep the skin. Leave some of the cucumber skin on for a pop of color and a crunchier bite.
- Serve within a few hours. The watermelon and cucumber will release liquid and make the salad soggy.
- Use fresh lime. Freshly squeezed lime juice gives the best flavor.
- Make it spicy. Add in some diced jalapeño or serrano peppers.
- Garnish for flair. Sprinkle some extra fresh mint and feta cheese over the top for a beautiful presentation.
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Michelle Dunklin says
This was AMAZING!! I added blueberries. Thanks!
London Brazil says
What a great idea to add blueberries, Michelle! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating! 🙂
Ariel says
The feta was a great addition! Gave the salad a great flavor mix! Never would have thought mint and feta would taste good together but they sure do!
London says
Right!? It’s such an interesting combination of flavors, but so tasty! Thanks for your comment and rating, Ariel! 🙂