We've reached the part of the summer where turning on the oven just isn't going to fly and the no-cook meals are on heavy rotation! I'm adding my Watermelon Feta Salad to the mix as it's light, refreshing, cools ya down and is very easy to make! It's a summer classic!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Watermelon mixed with a homemade dressing, some cucumbers and feta cheese is all I want in this life! It's a flavor combo of my dreams and it's the perfect salad to help quell this heat! Watermelon Feta Salad is also a fantastic side dish / salad for just about every BBQ main. Grilled Steak, perfection. Ribs, you bet! Grilled Pizza.... heck yes!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Small Seedless Watermelon
- Shallot
- Mint
- Feta Cheese - I prefer the kind that comes in the brine that you can crumble yourself! It's more flavorful.
- Persian Cucumbers
- Arugula (optional)
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Garlic
- Dried Oregano
- Maldon Salt + Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
*For the full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below
How to Make Watermelon Feta Salad
Combine the watermelon, shallots, and mint in a large bowl with the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
Remove from the fridge and add the feta, cucumbers and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter, add on top of arugula, drizzle with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper and extra mint.
In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad. Season the Watermelon Feta Salad to taste and serve.
Tips & Tricks
Let's talk about picking the perfect watermelon - as that is the crux of this recipe! Make sure you find a melon that has a strong, consistent stripe pattern. The green stripes should be a deep, dark green color and the lighter stripes should be light yellow. Additionally, you may want to choose a dull-looking watermelon.
Another great indictor (and perhaps the most important) is the field spot. That's the spot on the watermelon that's lighter in color as that is where it sat in the field. You want a very obvious field spot as that means the watermelon sat in one spot and ripened!!
Last thing - knock on your watermelon. It should sound hollow.
FAQs
What pairs well with watermelon salad?
Everything!! It pairs beautifully alongside a burger, some grilled chicken, grilled steak, fish, you name it!
Why does watermelon and feta taste good together?
The salty feta with the crunchy sweet watermelon is a match made in heaven!! Add a small sprinkling of salt and you're in business.
More Watermelon Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small seedless watermelon cut into 1 inch cubes or melon balls
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons mint torn, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 sheet fresh feta cheese cut into ½ inch cubes (about ½ cup once cubed)
- 3 Persian cucumbers sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
- Handful of wild arugula
For the Vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the watermelon, shallots, and mint in a large bowl with the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and add the feta, cucumbers and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter, add on top of arugula, drizzle with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper and extra mint.
- In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad. Season to taste, adjusting as needed.
Notes
- If you’ve never marinated your watermelon before, just even for an hour or so, prepare to never look back! It gives it that extra flavor boost and makes it even more delicious!!Â
Delicious and I was skeptical! I used green leaf lettuce instead of arugula because that’s what I had but now I want to try with all the ingredients I was missing! I also didn’t have mint or shallots.
Please disregard my earlier question!! The sweetness of the watermelon easily offset the bitterness of the vinaigrette. Whew! Delicious!
Hi! Excited to serve this tonight with friends! Unfortunately, my vinaigrette has a strong bitter taste. Any suggestions how to sweeten it up?
I just love all your fresh, light summer salads!!
I picked up a personal watermelon just to make this salad for myself. Family either doesn't like it, or slightly allergic to it.