Some people aren’t that into putting fruit into a salad. Personally, I love it. Maybe it’s because I love a mix of savory and sweet, or maybe because adding fruit to a salad makes it so much juicier and more refreshing. But regardless of your thoughts on the matter, this salad recipe is not just for your everyday, run-of-the-mill salad. This is a salad made with one of the juiciest, most refreshing fruits out there—watermelon.
This salad combines the luscious pink fruit with equally refreshing cucumber, tangy feta, herbal mint, and a sweet, citrusy dressing. It’s heaven in a bowl, and the perfect snack or side on a hot, summer’s day.
Every year, as soon as the temperatures warm up in my neck of the woods, I start craving watermelon. It’s so refreshing, it’s like drinking flavored water and so sweet, it’s like eating a piece of candy. I think it was a few summers back when my mom introduced me to watermelon salad. She combined the delectable fruit with some fresh mint from the garden, feta cheese, and a dressing made with lime juice, vinegar, and honey. It was an explosion of flavor in my mouth, and this salad instantly became one of my favorite summer dishes.
it's all about the cuke
I think the first time I ate a watermelon salad it didn’t include any cucumber. Which is perfectly fine, but after testing this recipe a few different ways, I’ve found that adding some cuke contributes to a wonderful crunch factor that you won’t get from watermelon and feta alone. I would opt for the long, seedless English cucumbers instead of a regular cucumber. They’re typically seedless, so you don’t have to worry about scooping out any of those slimy seeds.
watermelon problems
I’ll be honest, buying a whole giant watermelon can be intimidating. It takes forever to cut, it’s difficult to carry (especially for you city slickers who walk to the grocery store), and they can contain those annoying black seeds you have to pick out. If you must, you can buy a container of pre-cut watermelon. It really isn’t the worst fruit to buy in a container, as long as it doesn’t look mushy or slimy yet. OR, you can do what I usually do and look for a mini seedless watermelon. I usually find them at the Whole Foods near me; they’re circular in shape and much easier to carry home.
minty fresh
If you’re able, definitely try to use fresh mint! The flavor is so rewarding, and it’ll be bright green and pretty in the presentation of the salad. I always try to grow fresh mint during the summer months. If you have an herb garden, definitely plant some mint. I’m in an apartment, so I have my herb garden in pots on the windowsill, but I’ve found that mint is one of the easier herbs to grow indoors. Just make sure to keep it in full sun, and water it when the soil is dry to the touch. It’ll grow like crazy!
dress lightly
My final tip of the day, is don’t overdo it on the dressing. Both watermelon and cucumber are full of water and will secrete their own juices, so adding too much dressing will make your salad set and soupy. Once you get to the bottom of it, you won’t want to eat your last few bites. All you need with the dressing is to lightly coat your ingredients, so don’t worry about using it all up—you can always save the leftovers for another use. (Or another watermelon salad.)
and the list is quite short
Not too many ingredients needed here! Check out what you’ll need in the list below.
Watermelon Wouldn’t want to forget this key ingredient! If you can, find a seedless watermelon to avoid the hassle
Cucumber Look for the seedless kind here as well. Usually these are sold wrapped in plastic and are longer and thinner than regular cucumbers
Shallot You can always skip this ingredient if you don’t love the allium taste with your watermelon. But I would totally recommend if you want a flavor adventure!
Fresh mint Make sure to chop and add the mint at the very end so it doesn’t turn brown
Feta cheese You can buy pre-crumbled feta, but I’m partial to the blocks of feta that are sold in liquid, because the flavor is just that much better
Fresh lime juice PLEASE, for the love of watermelon, use freshly squeezed juice. Ditch the bottle
Olive oil and apple cider vinegar Honestly, these two ingredients are probably all you really need for an incredible dressing…
Honey But the honey adds a touch of sweetness that I can never resist
⟶ the recipe
watermelon salad with cucumber & mint
ingredients
1 small seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1 seedless cucumber, diced
1 shallot, chopped
½ cup fresh mint, chopped
½ cup crumbled feta
1 lime, squeezed
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
Salt & pepper
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
15 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Toss the watermelon, cucumber, shallot, and mint together in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss lightly. Stir in the feta, and serve with additional fresh mint, if desired.
⟶ recipe notes
- recipe notes
⟶ modifications
- ways to modify
⟶ make it ahead
- Place all the veggies in a bowl, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve, add the dressing, feta, and mint
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