Watermelon Cucumber Salad
on Jul 10, 2019, Updated May 06, 2025
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Watermelon Salad with Cucumber and Feta is an easy to make, refreshing salad to make this summer! Salty, sweet and perfect alongside your favorite grilled protein!
Love watermelon salads? Give this strawberry watermelon feta salad a try!
This post has been updated since it was originally published on 4/10/2019
Why You’ll Love Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Fresh and crunchy – During the hot summer months I’m always craving a cold, fresh, crunchy salad. This cucumber salad with watermelon checks all the boxes and is also hydrating thanks to all the water content in the cucumber and watermelon.
Sweet and Salty – If you love sweet and salty combinations then you’ll love this salad! Watermelon and feta are an amazing pairing and once you try it, you’ll be hooked!
Great for barbecues and picnics – This is a great salad to take to your next barbecue, picnic, or summer gathering. It holds up well and who isn’t drawn to a watermelon side dish on a hot day!
Easy to make – No cooking, baking, or marinating involved with this salad. Simply chop the watermelon, cucumber, feta, and herbs. Then squeeze on the lime juice.
Ingredient Notes
- Watermelon – If you can get a mini watermelon it’s the perfect size for this salad otherwise any sized seedless watermelon. See my tips below for how to pick out a good watermelon.
- Cucumber – Persian cucumbers are what I recommend for this salad. They’re super crunchy, and you don’t need to peel or remove the seeds. Alternatively you can use an English cucumber.
- Feta – Cubed or crumbled feta cheese is the salty component that pairs amazingly with the sweet watermelon. Buy a block of feta vs. pre-crumbled feta. The flavor and texture are superior.
- Mint and basil – Fresh herbs are a must for this salad. The mint and basil combined lend a sweet, fresh, and light anise flavor to the salad.
- Lime – Use fresh squeezed lime juice, not bottled. Adds a tart citrus flavor that tastes amazing with the watermelon.
- Olive oil – A drizzle of olive oil balances the acidity of the lime.
How to pick out a watermelon
- Pick it up. A watermelon should feel heavier than it looks no matter what the size.
- Look for a field spot. This spot is lighter and yellowish color. It’s the spot where the watermelon was resting on the ground and indicates that it spent more time on the vine getting sweet. If there’s no spot or if the spot is white, the watermelon was probably picked too early and is underripe.
- Tap or knock on the watermelon. The surface should be hard and your knuckles should bounce back after giving it a knock.
- Pick out a watermelon that has a dull appearance versus a shiny one. Shiny indicates that it’s underripe.
Tips for Making Watermelon Feta Salad
- Use Persian cucumbers if possible. They’re super crunchy and you don’t need to peel or remove the seeds.
- If you like red onion, feel free to add in some thin slices.
- I prefer to cube the feta for this salad so that it doesn’t drown in the watermelon juice after the salad sits. It’s also nice to have all of the ingredients be similar in size so that you get a little of everything in each bite.
- Fresh squeezed lime juice is best. Skip the bottle lime juice.
- Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl before transferring them to a serving bowl or platter. The presentation will be cleaner and more visually appealing.
What to Serve with Watermelon Cucumber Salad
This fresh summer salad is perfect to serve at cookouts or take along with you to a picnic or potluck.
A few of my grilled favorites I love pairing it with are Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Skewers, Chipotle Maple Grilled Salmon, Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce, and Grilled Tahini Chicken.
If burgers are on the menu, the salad goes great with my Pesto Zucchini Turkey Burgers and Greek Turkey Burgers.
How long will the watermelon feta salad keep?
The salad will keep for 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. That being said, it’s best eaten the day it’s made. It releases a lot of juice the longer it sits. The taste is still great, but the presentation won’t look as nice.
More summer salads
Did you make this watermelon salad with cucumber and feta? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Watermelon Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 mini watermelon, approximately 4 cups, rind removed and cubed
- 2 Persian cucumbers, approximately 1 cup, sliced
- 3 ounces feta cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- 1 lime, juiced
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Olive oil to taste
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl add the watermelon, cucumber, feta, basil and mint. Squeeze the lime over the salad, drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My friend made this for a girls get-together! Best thing at our gathering by far. We couldn’t stop eating it.
This is so simple yet so amazingly refreshing and flavorful. I would not have thought to put watermelon and cukes together but it is so good. The cucumber, mint and basil came straight from the garden to the salad. It will be great with all kinds of grilled chicken or pork. I will definetely be making this often during the summer.
How far in advance should i make this. Dinner at six
I wouldn’t put it together more than an hour in advance. However, everything can be prepped earlier than that.
Can I use goat cheese instead of feta? Feta just has too much bite for my taste buds.
Yes! Goat cheese is a great alternative to the feta.
Yummy!
can I use frozen watermellon?
I wouldn’t recommend using frozen watermelon. It will likely release excess juice and make the salad watery.
Very good