This easy watermelon salad with cucumbers, feta, and a simple lime vinaigrette makes the perfect summer salad for all your cookout and party needs! The sweet flavors of watermelon, crunchy cucumbers, and tangy feta cheese are a match made in heaven.
Note: that links to products you find in this post are Amazon affiliate links which means I do make a small amount of money when you click and make purchases.
For me, watermelon is synonymous with summer! Summer is when watermelon is at its peak -- with plenty of sweet, juicy flavor.
I love serving it up for a simple sweet at the end of meals or incorporating it into fruit salads, but it also works amazing as a savory salad.
This watermelon cucumber feta salad takes just minutes to make and goes with all your summer favorites including smoked chicken quarters, skillet corn, and grilled salmon.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This watermelon salad recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients. All are easy to find in most grocery stores. Let's take a look at the highlights but be sure to check the full list in the recipe card.
- Limes: Freshly squeezed lime juice works best.
- Granulated sugar: Just a bit to sweeten the dressing.
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for making the lime vinaigrette.
- Watermelon: Choose a seedless watermelon so you don't need to mess with the seeds.
- Baby cucumbers: Also called Persian cucumbers, these make a great addition to salads because they don't have as many seeds. You can also use English cucumbers which also have fewer seeds than regular cucumbers.
- Red onion: It's my favorite for salads. It's crunchy and has a vibrant flavor. You can soak your chopped onion in cold water to remove some of the bite if you prefer it a bit milder.
- Feta cheese: I prefer using block feta cheese and crumbling it myself. It simply tastes better but of course, you can use crumbled feta as well.
- Fresh mint: Chopped fresh mint adds a unique flavor to your watermelon cucumber salad.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some ideas of ways to change up serving your watermelon and feta salad.
- Add other veggies: Cherry or grape tomatoes will work well. If you can find them in a variety of colors it will add color too! Another option that works great for a bit of crunch and zippy flavors is sliced radishes.
- Add some greens: This salad also works great with baby arugula added. It turns it into a bit more of a traditional salad.
- Change the dressing: Drizzle a bit of balsamic glaze over the top of the salad just before serving or use it in place of the lime vinaigrette.
- No mint? Swap the mint for basil instead.
- Use a different cheese. This salad benefits from a salty, flavorful cheese. While feta is classic, blue cheese crumbles and goat cheese are two other favorites I use sometimes in watermelon salad.
How to Make Watermelon Salad
Let's take a look at the main steps in this easy salad recipe. Gather all your equipment and ingredients together and let's get started.
- Place the lime juice and sugar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake or stir until they are completely dissolved.
- Add the olive oil along with salt and pepper.
- Shake the jar again after closing the lid and then set it aside while you make the salad.
- Combine the watermelon, cucumbers, onion, half of the feta, and mint leaves.
- Gently toss everything together until it's well mixed.
- Add about two-thirds of the dressing and gently toss again.
- Transfer the salad to a serving plate or bowl, top it with the remaining half of the feta, and drizzle with the rest of the dressing. Sprinkle more fresh mint over the top for garnish.
Storage
This salad is best served when made, but you may refrigerate any leftovers for a day or two. They might become a little watery, but still edible.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It's not recommended to freeze this salad as it contains fresh fruit and vegetables which will not hold up after freezing.
How to Serve Watermelon Feta Salad
Watermelon salad is perfect to serve for all your summer events. It's easy to make for groups of all sizes and goes with a wide variety of dishes.
- Serve it up with all your favorite chicken recipes including these smoked chicken legs, or slow cooker chicken legs. It will also go great with this champagne chicken.
- For weeknight dinners, serve watermelon salad with this tuna pesto pasta or crockpot Ranch pork chops.
- Planning a party? Serve it up with a variety of salads to give your guests some options. Tortellini pasta salad, red-skin potato salad, and lemon orzo salad are just a few of my favorites
Expert Tips and FAQS
- Use Persian cucumbers, English cucumbers, or any other variety of cucumbers that has fewer seeds. These also contain a bit less water which makes them work much better.
- Serve immediately for the best flavor!
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice whenever possible.
- Salt the salad and dressing. It makes a big difference to the flavor.
Yes and no. You may make the dressing a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate. Before serving, bring it to room temperature as the olive oil kind of solidifies when cold. Also, you can also mix all the salad ingredients together and cover up to 45 minutes before serving. I recommend pouring off any accumulated juices before putting the dressing on the salad, or it may dilute the dressing.
Microwave the lime for 10-15 seconds to help it produce more juice or you can roll it on the counter before cutting it in half. I highly recommend using a citrus juicer, it makes it much easier to get all the juice out.
More Dressing and Salad Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
Equipment
- Lime juicer
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice about 6 small limes
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
For the salad:
- 4-5 cups cubed seedless watermelon about half a large watermelon
- 1 cup baby cucumbers sliced in half moons (about 3 small)
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 8- ounce container feta cheese crumbled
- 2 Tablespoons torn mint leaves
Instructions
- Place lime juice and sugar in a shaker jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake or stir until they are completely dissolved. Add salt, pepper, and olive oil. Shake again until well mixed. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place watermelon, cucumbers, onion, half of the Feta, and mint leaves. Gently toss until combined.
- Add about ⅔ of the dressing, and gently toss.
- Transfer to a serving plate or bowl. Top with the remaining half of the Feta, and more mint if desired. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing if desired.
Leave a Reply