Watermelon Salad with Cucumber and Feta
on Jul 10, 2019, Updated Jul 09, 2024
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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 I love it
Fresh and crunchy – During the hot summer months I’m always craving a cold, fresh, crunchy salad. This 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.
The ingredients
- 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 – Buy a block of feta and cube it yourself if possible. The flavor and texture are superior to pre-crumbled feta.
- 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.
How to make watermelon salad with cucumber and feta
Cut the watermelon – The most time consuming part of making this salad if you had to pick something is cutting the watermelon. Check out this visual guide on How to Cut a Watermelon for an easy method that work well for cutting it into cubes.
Chop remaining ingredients – Slice the cucumber, cut the feta into cubes, chop the mint and basil and add them to a serving bowl with the cubes of watermelon.
Squeeze in the juice of a lime, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together and that’s all there is to it!
What to serve with watermelon salad
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 Salad with Cucumber and Feta
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