This refreshing sweet and salty Watermelon Feta Salad is a perfect summer salad to serve for backyard parties or BBQs. Made using just 5 ingredients and in 15 minutes, this recipe is a keeper.
Here are some more salad recipes, that you can make for your light and hearty meals – Traditional Tabouli Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Broccoli Apple Salad, Cucumber Salsa, and Amish Potato Salad.
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About This Recipe
As summer is the season of watermelons, I love to make this Watermelon Feta Salad now & then and it is my go-to salad when I want to serve something quick and refreshing for dinner. It is also a must-have side dish for my weekend brunch, no matter which cuisine I am going for.
Sweet ripe watermelon, salty feta, and refreshing mint dressed with a zesty lime dressing, this watermelon feta cheese salad is a perfect example of how sweet and salty flavors can be best friends.
The saltiness of feta cheese goes perfectly with the cool sweetness of the watermelon and the zesty lime dressing brings out the flavors.
It is an easy and refreshing summer salad that will give you relief from the scorching heat outside on a sunny afternoon. The best part is it needs no special skills and it comes together in under 15 minutes.
To make this full of flavor salad, cubes of watermelon are tossed with fresh mint leaves and crumbled feta making this salad colorful and healthy. A salty citrus dressing is added to this salad, which gives it a delicious flavor that compliments the sweetness from the watermelon.
Once you take a bite of this salad, the flavors will just burst into your mouth. You can also include Balsamic Vinegar in the dressing, it adds a nice flavor to the salad. Other than these simple ingredients, you can even add cucumber and red onions to this salad for an extra crunch.
One serving of this Watermelon Feta Cheese Salad i.e about 1 cup has 98 Calories. This is a perfectly healthy, low-cal salad which is super delicious too.
This Watermelon Feta Salad is,
- Refreshing
- Sweet & Salty
- Easy to make
- Super Light
- Looks Beautiful
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
Ingredients
To make this sweet-salty refreshing Watermelon Feta Cheese Salad, you need three main ingredients – Watermelon, Feta Cheese, and Mint Leaves. This one gets ready in just 15 minutes.
Watermelon – Choose the best seedless watermelon to make this salad. Make sure to chill it a few hours before making the salad for the best taste.
Mint Leaves – Mint Leaves adds a refreshing flavour, that is a must in this salad. You can replace mint with other herbs like basil or parsley.
Feta Cheese – Feta Cheese adds a salty, tangy, and lemony taste to the salad, which adds a great soft texture and a delicious taste. I love the saltiness and crumbliness of Feta Cheese, but if you do not prefer feta cheese you can add in Mozzarella Balls or Goat Cheese too.
Dressing – The combination of these three ingredients will just make your summer even better. To add a little more taste to the salad, we will make a dressing that is a delicious combination of extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, black pepper, and salt. Easy, right?
Add in some balsamic vinegar, for more flavor and taste, It goes great with the combination of watermelon, feta cheese, and mint leaves.
You can also add greens like lettuce, arugula, or even kale to this salad.
How to make Watermelon Feta Salad?
Start by chopping the seedless watermelon. It’s best to use seedless watermelon to make this salad because it’s not a nice experience to have seeds in the mouth while eating the salad. If you don’t have access to seedless watermelon, then try to remove as many large seeds as possible before making the salad.
Cut the watermelon into half using a sharp big knife. Discard the rind and chop the flesh into 1-inch cubes. To make the salad fancier, you can use a melon baller and make balls from the flesh instead of cutting it into cubes.
Chill 6 cups of watermelon cubes for a few hours. Once ready to make the salad, add the watermelon cubes in a large bowl.
Mix dressing ingredients ie ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lime juice, ½ tsp lime zest, salt, and pepper to taste, and ¼ cup chopped mint leaves in a small bowl.
Pour the dressing over the watermelon and toss everything well.
Transfer the salad on the serving plate and top with crumbled feta. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few tricks which you should keep in mind while buying the watermelon
1. It should feel heavy for its size.
2. Look for the creamy yellow patch. If it’s there, the melon is ripe.
3. Tap the underbelly of the watermelon. A ripe one will have a deep hollow sound. Under-ripe or over-ripe melons will sound dull.
Almost everyone has their own way of cutting Watermelon. I will tell you the way I do it at home.
I always cut the entire watermelon in one go. Use how much ever I want and store the remaining in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Firstly, I cut the upper and lower ends of the watermelon. In case, you are cutting only half, cut only one side of the end. You can just cover half with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.
Then I take my knife and cut the watermelon from the center.
Once done, I take half of the watermelon, lay it on the cutting board (flesh part down towards the board), and start peeling the rind with the knife. Make sure you cut one section at a time so that you cut it properly and don’t cut the flesh while doing it.
Once the peeling is done, you can cut the watermelon in whatever shape and size you desire. Take out the seeds as much as you can before making a juice or storing it.
No white part should be remaining on the cut watermelon. Remove the rind completely.
This salad tastes great with just watermelon, mint, and cheese. You can totally skip adding the dressing or add just a bit of honey, salt, and pepper.
Pro Tips By Neha
Always make this salad using ripe seedless melon. Red ones are usually softer and taste great when mixed with other ingredients in this salad. If you don’t have access to seedless melon, remove all the seeds before mixing them in the salad.
Use chilled watermelon to make this refreshing salad.
If using red onions, soak the slices in water for 15 to 20 minutes, to take some bite out of it.
You can also use fresh basil leaves instead of mint leaves.
Do not miss out on the dressing. It adds a great flavor and taste to this watermelon salad.
Always use high quality ingredients for the best taste.
Variations
You can drizzle a little balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar to add a slight tangy taste to the same. If you have Balsamic Glaze at hand, it tastes great drizzled over this salad.
Adding cubed cucumbers, avocado or black olives to this salad is also a great idea. I sometimes make this version too. I prefer using English cucumber for salad as they are seedless, have thinner skin which is not waxy and they are sweeter. However, feel free to use whichever variety you have.
You can top this salad with nuts like almonds, pecan or walnuts for a nice crunch.
Instead of cutting the watermelon, you can use a melon baller to make small balls. This salad will look much fancier.
Other than using mint, I have also tried Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad and Watermelon Feta Basil Salad, they taste as delicious as the mint one.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with this salad? This salty, sweet, and refreshing salad is usually served on its own. But, you can also serve it as a side dish along with a Pasta, Risotto, or Soup of your choice.
This salad is what you should be serving for every backyard BBQ party, picnic, potluck, or even weekend brunches.
Storage Suggestions
This salad tastes best when made fresh. But if for some reason, you have to make it beforehand, just store the watermelon and the dressing separately.
Cube the watermelon and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make the dressing and store it too. Don’t add fresh mint in the dressing if you are planning to make it ahead.
Mix the dressing with watermelon just a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle freshly chopped mint leaves and feta cheese on top at last and serve.
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Recipe Card
Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups cubed seedless watermelon
- 200 g feta cheese
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp lime zest
- salt (to taste)
- freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup mint leaves (chopped)
Instructions
- Start by chopping the seedless watermelon. It’s best to use seedless watermelon to make this salad because it’s not a nice experience to have seeds in the mouth while eating the salad. If you don’t have access to seedless watermelon, then try to remove as many large seeds as possible before making the salad.
- Cut the watermelon into half using a sharp big knife. Discard the rind and chop the flesh into 1-inch cubes. To make the salad fancier, you can use a melon baller and make balls from the flesh instead of cutting it into cubes.
- Chill 6 cups of watermelon cubes for a few hours. Once ready to make the salad, add the watermelon cubes in a large bowl.
- Mix dressing ingredients ie ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lime juice, ½ tsp lime zest, salt, and pepper to taste, and ¼ cup chopped mint leaves in a small bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the watermelon and toss everything well.
- Transfer the salad to the serving plate and top with crumbled feta. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!