Light and refreshing watermelon salad is brimming with sweet and savory flavors tossed together in a simple vinaigrette dressing. This colorful summer salad is a healthy option for barbecues and potlucks!
Why this recipe works
Crisp cucumber and red onion, tangy feta cheese, cooling mint, and juicy-sweet watermelon combine in this colorful watermelon salad. Some might think this flavor combination is odd, but once you try it all together you’ll keep going back for more.
It’s similar to a tomato cucumber salad, but you’re basically replacing the tomato with watermelon then adding mint and an apple cider vinaigrette for even more depth of flavor. It’s juicy, sweet, and savory coming together in no more than 20 minutes.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
WATERMELON– Choose a watermelon that is heavy for its size that has a creamy orange colored field spot. A white field spot means it is not ripe.
ONION – Though red onions are known as a sweeter variety of onions, they still pack a punch. If you aren’t a fan of onions’ pungent taste, try soaking the chopped onions in either water, lemon, or lime juice for around 10-15 minutes to tame down the sharp taste.
FETA – You can substitute the feta cheese with blue cheese if preferred.
MINT – Feel free to use fresh basil in place of mint. However, mint is one of the star ingredients here and pairs extremely well with watermelon. So much so that we have a mint watermelon smoothie with the two ingredients alone.
How to Make Watermelon Salad
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl.
- Add the watermelon, cucumber, red onion, and mint to a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
- Drizzle on the dressing, and gently toss to coat.
- When ready to serve, transfer the salad to a serving platter or bowl and sprinkle on the feta. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
You can make this salad a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Hold off on adding the mint and feta until right before serving. You can also chop all the ingredients and store them separately in the refrigerator to prevent all the flavors from seeping together too much (mostly the watermelon and cucumber) as it can become watery the longer it sits.
Serving Suggestions
There are many different variations of watermelon salad, so feel free to add in or omit ingredients to suit your own taste. Arugula, jalapenos, nuts, or olives will add even more texture and flavor!
As watermelon is a summer fruit, we typically whip up this salad for warm weather cookouts and get togethers for a refreshing dish alongside some classic barbecue foods.
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Fruit Salad
- Corn Salad
- Caprese Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Spaghetti Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad with Feta
- Greek Salad
- Shrimp Salad
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Watermelon Salad
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
Vinaigrette
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 8 cups seedless watermelon cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 1 seedless cucumber halved lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1 medium red onion halved and sliced thin
- 3 Tablespoons fresh mint minced, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Things You’ll Need
- Serving platter or bowl
Before You Begin
- If you like a bit of spice, feel free to add 1 to 2 minced jalapenos.
- You can use fresh basil instead of mint if you prefer.
- Choose a watermelon that is heavy for its size that has a creamy orange colored field spot. A white field spot means it is not ripe.
- If you aren’t a fan of onions pungent taste, try soaking the chopped onions in either water, lemon, or lime juice for around 10-15 minutes to tame down the sharp taste.
- You can make this salad up to a dayin advance and store it in the fridge. Hold off until adding the mint and feta until right before serving. You can also chop all the ingredients and store them separately in the refrigerator to prevent all the flavors from seeping together too much (mostly the watermelon and cucumber) as it can become watery the longer it sits.
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl.
- Add the watermelon, cucumber, red onion, and mint to a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
- Drizzle on the dressing, and gently toss to coat.
- When ready to serve, transfer the salad to a serving platter and sprinkle on the feta. Enjoy!
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Amanda Davis
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