Watermelon Feta Salad (With Mint Leaves)
on Jan 21, 2021, Updated Dec 12, 2023
This sweet, salty, Refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint is a perfect summer salad for backyard parties or BBQs. Make it using my easy recipe.
Here are some more salad recipes for light and hearty meals: Gochujang Cucumber Salad, Thai Green Papaya Salad, Cajun Potato Salad, Kale Mango Salad, and Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad.
Some dishes you can eat on repeat, and for me, one of them is this watermelon salad topped with umami-loaded feta cheese and a very mild dressing. The sweet and savory combination is a match made in heaven.
In summer, when you look out for quick and easy recipes that are very refreshing and cooling, this salad checks all the boxes. You have to try it to believe me!
About Watermelon Feta Salad
Sweet and juicy watermelon, salty feta, and a refreshing minty citrus dressing—what’s not to love about this fabulous combination? This Watermelon and Feta Salad With Mint Leaves is about flavors and textures.
It is my go-to low-carb salad when I want to serve something quick and refreshing. It is also a perfect side dish for my summer potlucks, weekend brunches, and BBQ parties, no matter which cuisine I am going for.
Watermelon feta cheese salad perfectly shows how sweet and salty flavors can be best friends. I was skeptical about this pairing, but one bite of this salad impressed me.
The saltiness of feta cheese goes perfectly with the incredible sweetness of the watermelon, and the zesty lime dressing brings out the overall flavors.
It is an easy and refreshing summer salad that relieves you from the scorching heat outside on a sunny afternoon. The best part is that it needs no special skills and comes together in under 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Watermelon – Your salad will be as good as your watermelon. Choose the best!
Chill it a few hours before making the salad for the best taste.
Mint Leaves – Mint leaves add a refreshing flavor to this watermelon salad recipe.
Feta Cheese gives the salad a salty, tangy, lemony taste and soft texture. Choose the soaked-in brine version, not the dry one.
Dressing – I like keeping the dressing simple and using extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, lime zest, salt, and pepper. A little lime zest goes a long way, do not skip adding it.
Lime juice and zest can be replaced with lemon juice and zest.
How To Make Watermelon And Feta Salad
Preparation
Start by chopping a 3-pound (1.5 kg) seedless watermelon into ½-inch cubes. It’s best to use seedless watermelon because it’s unpleasant to have seeds in your mouth. If you don’t have access to seedless watermelon, try removing as many large seeds as possible.
To make the salad fancier, you can use a melon baller and make balls from the flesh instead of cutting it into cubes.
Chill the watermelon cubes for a few hours.
Make The Dressing
To make the dressing, stir the following ingredients in a small bowl.
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
Keep the dressing aside.
Make The Salad
Add the chilled watermelon cubes to a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the watermelon and toss everything well.
Transfer the salad to the serving plate and top with 6 oz (170 g) crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.
Variations
Add crunchy cucumbers and red onions to this simple salad for a nice crunch. I prefer using English cucumbers in my salads as they are seedless, have thinner skin that is not waxy and is sweeter. However, feel free to use whichever variety you have.
If the red onions are very pungent, soak them in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze and use.
You can add greens like lettuce, arugula, or even kale to this salad. You can also add blueberries, avocados, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and beetroot.
Add apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, etc., to the dressing for a flavor change. I love to drizzle my homemade Balsamic Glaze on this salad.
You can replace mint with other fresh herbs like fresh basil leaves or parsley.
You can also replace salty feta cheese with fresh mozzarella or goat cheese.
For a nice crunch, top this salad with nuts like almonds, pecans, and walnuts or seeds like sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
Instead of cutting the watermelon, you can use a melon baller to make small balls. This salad will look much fancier.
To make it filling, add some cooked quinoa or couscous.
Add some grilled protein like Paneer or Halloumi cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
This salad tastes the best when made fresh. However, if you have leftovers, save them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
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Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe (With Mint Leaves)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds seedless watermelon (cubed and chilled)
- 6 ounces feta cheese (170 g)
For The Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
Instructions
- To make the dressing, stir together extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and mint leaves in a small bowl.
- Add the watermelon cubes to a large 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.
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