This extra hydrating and super delicious Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad is currently my must-have summer salad! This combo is honestly the best watermelon salad I’ve ever tried.
It may sound like an unlikely combination, but this watermelon salad just WORKS. The light and sweet fruit, sharp and tangy cheese, crunchy cucumbers, and refreshing herbs come together like a symphony in your mouth.
Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad manage to be both effortless and refined at the same time, with bright shades of pink, white, and green all in one bowl. I am positively convinced that meals look more complex and extravagant when they are more vibrant in color.
Watermelon salad is flexible. If you want to make it dairy-free or vegan, substitute the feta cheese with some lightly salted avocado chunks. Or, add some avocado to this already awesome salad for even more flavor and health benefits.
With so many bright colors and refreshing flavors, watermelon salad is the ultimate easy summer salad. It’s easy to make if you’re cooking for one, and it’s also guaranteed to be the prettiest dish at the party!
Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad Ingredients
To bring this vibrant salad to life, you will need the following key ingredients:
- Watermelon: The ultimate summer fruit! Watermelon is the unmistakable star of this dish. It’s a delicious way to hydrate while loading up on powerful antioxidants.
- Feta cheese: This sharp, tangy cheese perfectly balances out the light, fresh fruit. It also adds a really awesome creamy element to the salad.
- English cucumber: Cucumber adds some crunch and wonderful flavor to this salad. You can use any cucumber here, but the delicate skin on an English cucumber is particularly nice here.
- Fresh mint: Watermelon’s best friend! This herb pairs wonderfully with the rest of our ingredients and really brightens up the dish. If I have fresh basil on hand as well, I’ll also add a few tablespoons of chopped basil because basil and mint are the peanut butter and jelly of the herb world.
- Lime juice: The acidity in the lime juice brightens and enhances the rest of our fresh flavors, making them even more delicious.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A big glug of extra virgin olive oil adds richness and extra nutrition to your watermelon, mint, and feta salad. I personally love it here, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
How to Pick a Watermelon
Did you know that there are actually 1,200 varieties of watermelon? The main types we see at the grocery store are seeded, seedless, icebox (the personal-sized ones), and yellow watermelon. While you can’t really go wrong with any variation, it can be hard to determine which one to pick in the store. How do you know if a watermelon is ripe? Picking a good watermelon is actually easier than you might think, so long as you know what to look for.
Here are 3 tips to help you pick the perfect watermelon:
- Check the field spot.
This is one of the easiest ways to tell whether or not a watermelon is ripe. The field spot is the large non-green spot found on the underside of the watermelon, where it was sitting on the ground. If the field spot is yellow, this indicates that the fruit had enough time to properly ripen before being harvested. The darker yellow the field spot, the riper it should be. On the other hand, if the field spot is white, then the watermelon is probably underripe and not as sweet.
- Check the weight.
No, I don’t mean that you have to actually weigh the watermelon. You can check the weight by picking up a few different watermelons of roughly the same size and picking the heaviest one. The heavier the watermelon, the juicier it will be.
- Check the shape.
While watermelons can vary in shape and size, it’s important to make sure the one you select is relatively uniform in shape. The watermelons with bumps and dents were likely either not pollinated correctly, not watered consistently, or have been tainted by fungus or insects.
Health Benefits of Watermelon
There’s a reason people always say you should hydrate with watermelon in the summertime—it’s made of 92% water! This refreshing fruit is easily one of my favorite foods to eat when it’s hot out, so I’m constantly looking for new ways to enjoy it. Not only is it delicious and refreshing, but it’s also super low in calories and packed with beneficial nutrients.
Here are some of the top health benefits of watermelon:
- Hydrates the body
- Helps to lower inflammation in the body
- Prevents cell damage from free radicals
- Reduces cholesterol and blood pressure levels
- Promotes a healthy digestive system
- Contains amino acids that work to reduce muscle soreness
- Promotes healthy hair and skin
Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad Recipe
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how crazy easy it is to make! Seriously, it comes together in just two simple steps (print the ratios below).
- Chop all of the ingredients into big chunks. See the photos on this post for how it should look.
- Toss watermelon chunks, chopped English cucumbers, feta cheese, and mint into a large bowl, then add fresh lime juice, EVOO, and toss. Top with sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper and serve it up.
I like to serve this watermelon salad with grilled chicken and veggie skewers, but you can serve it with just about anything. If you’re looking for an upgraded version of sliced watermelon to munch on as a refreshing snack, this works great for that too.
Pair this Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad with your favorite protein source and healthy grain for a complete meal that absolutely crushes at family dinners and social gatherings. It’s quick, easy, and mouthwateringly delicious. Don’t just take my word for it, try it out for yourself, and let me know in the comments what you think!
Print
Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop, toss
- Cuisine: American
Description
Watermelon, Mint & Feta Salad is the ultimate healthy summer dish. It’s cool, refreshing, and packed with fresh flavors! This recipe is written for 2 large or 4 small servings but it’s easily scaled up for a party of gathering.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of chopped watermelon (about 1 small watermelon, rind removed and cubed)
- 1.5 cups chopped English or Persian cucumbers (about 2 Persian or 1 English)
- 2 ounces fresh Feta cheese, cut into bite-sized squares (about 1/2 cup chopped; omit if dairy-free)
- 1–2 tablespoons finely chopped (or chiffonade cut) fresh mint leaves (from about 8 mint leaves); plus 5-6 basil leaves, torn or chiffonade cut, if you have any
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1-2 fresh limes)
- 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1 glug around the bowl)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about 2 spins from a fresh pepper grinder)
Instructions
- Toss watermelon chunks, sliced cucumbers, feta cheese, and mint into a large bowl, then add fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil and toss.
- Divide into two individual serving bowls, then top with sea salt and pepper. Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
If you want to make it dairy-free or vegan, substitute the feta cheese with some lightly salted avocado chunks.
Watermelon Salad Recipe Variations
Looking to take some liberties? Here are some of my favorite ways to switch up this delicious dish:
- Use a different herb. Not a fan of mint? Try swapping it out for another fresh herb like basil or cilantro. Both of these herbs pair wonderfully with the bright flavors in this dish.
- Make it dairy-free. Looking for a dairy-free and vegan version? No problem. Watermelon and mint make for a dreamy combo on their own, so simply leave out the feta cheese altogether or substitute it with lightly avocado chunks.
- Give it a salty kick. Where there’s feta, you can often find kalamata olives. These salty little fruits (yes, they’re really fruits!) add a really nice flavor bomb to this salad, so feel free to toss some in if you’re an olive lover.
- Switch out the cheese. The feta cheese in this dish can easily be swapped out for goat cheese, which is another type of sharp and tangy cheese that works beautifully with watermelon and mint.
- Bring the heat. Fruit and chili is an unexpected flavor pairing that tastes absolutely amazing. If you’re a lover of all things spicy, try kicking this dish up a notch with a dash of cayenne or chili powder seasoning like Tajin.
- Give it a crunch. If you prefer more of a crunch, try adding a crunchy component like thinly sliced red onions, nuts, or seeds. Walnuts, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds would all work well in this dish.
If you try out any of these variations or come up with your own, let me know!
What to Serve With Watermelon Salad
This salad is one of my favorite dishes to bring to cookouts and dinner parties during the summer. It’s light, refreshing, flavorful, and pairs really well with a ton of different dishes. Some of my favorite dishes to serve with this salad include baked chicken breast, chickpea flatbreads, and baked salmon.
If you’re in the mood for the classic soup and salad combo, then you’ll have to try my vegetarian chili or ultra-satisfying quinoa soup. Between this salad and one of those soups, you’ve got the perfect flavorful balance of rich and refreshing.
As for drinks, my delicious Watermelon Juice is a no-brainer, since you’ll already have almost everything you need. It’s the best way to cool down on a hot summer day!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this refreshing dish:
How long can you store watermelon salad?
Because the main ingredients are made up primarily of water, this salad is best when enjoyed on the same day it’s made. That being said, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy them within 48 hours after making the salad.
What does watermelon salad go with?
Watermelon salad is a refreshing summer dish that can be served with just about anything. Popular pairing choices include grilled meats like chicken or lean steak, roasted or grilled vegetables, and roasted or grilled potatoes.
What can I use instead of mint?
If you don’t have mint or would prefer to use a different type of herb, basil and cilantro would both work well. Regardless of which type of herb you choose to go with, make sure you use fresh herbs. Dried herbs won’t be able to complement this dish in the way that fresh ones do.
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