Watermelon Feta & Mint Salad

• Watermelon: The ultimate summer fruit! Watermelon is the unmistakable star of this dish. It’s a delicious way to hydrate while loading up on powerful antioxidants.
• Feta cheese: This sharp, tangy cheese perfectly balances out the light, fresh fruit. It also adds a really awesome creamy element to the salad. I like to buy a block of real feta as opposed to the pre-crumbled stuff but use what works for you. Real feta comes from sheep’s milk, which is easier to digest than cow’s milk.
• English cucumber: Cucumber adds some crunch and wonderful flavor to this salad. You can use any cucumber here, but the delicate skin on an English cucumber is particularly nice here. Smashing the cucumber a bit adds a nice chefy touch—smashed cucumbers have a nice texture and absorb the dressing more. Just use the side of your knife to smash the chopped cucumbers a bit.
• Fresh mint: Fresh mint pairs wonderfully with the rest of our ingredients and really brightens up the dish. If I have fresh basil on hand as well, I’ll also add a few tablespoons of chopped basil because basil and mint are the peanut butter and jelly of the herb world.
• Fresh Lime juice: The acidity in the lime juice brightens and enhances the rest of our fresh flavors, making them even more delicious. Lemon juice also works great. Always use fresh citrus juice—the stuff in bottles is just citric acid with flavor agents.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A big glug of extra virgin olive oil adds richness and extra nutrition to your watermelon, mint, and feta salad. I personally love it here, but you can leave it out if you prefer.

Find more watermelon recipes here, and healthy salad recipes here.

How to Make It

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how crazy easy it is to make! Seriously, it comes together in just two simple steps (print the ratios below).

1. Chop all of the ingredients into big chunks. See the photos on this post for how it should look.
2. Toss watermelon chunks, chopped English cucumbers, feta cheese, and mint into a large bowl, then add fresh lime juice, EVOO, and toss. Top with sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper and serve it up.

See the printable recipe card below for more information on how to save this watermelon salad.

How to Pick a Watermelon

Did you know that there are actually 1,200 varieties of watermelon?

The main types we see at the grocery store are seeded, seedless, icebox (the personal-sized ones), and yellow watermelon. While you can’t really go wrong with any variation, it can be hard to determine which one to pick in the store. How do you know if a watermelon is ripe?

Picking a good watermelon is actually easier than you might think, so long as you know what to look for. Here are 3 tips to help you pick the perfect watermelon:

1. Check the field spot. 

This is one of the easiest ways to tell whether or not a watermelon is ripe. The field spot is the large non-green spot found on the underside of the watermelon, where it was sitting on the ground. If the field spot is yellow, this indicates that the fruit had enough time to ripen properly before being harvested. The darker the yellow field spot, the riper it should be. On the other hand, if the field spot is white, then the watermelon is probably underripe and not as sweet.

2. Check the weight.

No, I don’t mean that you have to actually weigh the watermelon. You can check the weight by picking up a few different watermelons of roughly the same size and picking the heaviest one. The heavier the watermelon, the juicier it will be.

3. Check the shape. 

While watermelons can vary in shape and size, it’s important to make sure the one you select is relatively uniform in shape. The watermelons with bumps and dents were likely either not pollinated correctly, not watered consistently, or have been tainted by fungus or insects.

Health Benefits of Watermelon

There’s a reason people always say you should hydrate with watermelon in the summertime—it’s made of 92% water!

Here are some of the top health benefits of watermelon:

• Hydrates the body
• Helps to lower inflammation in the body
• Prevents cell damage from free radicals
• Reduces cholesterol and blood pressure levels
• Promotes a healthy digestive system
• Contains amino acids that work to reduce muscle soreness
• Promotes healthy hair and skin

I like to serve this watermelon salad with grilled chicken and veggie skewers, but you can serve it with just about anything. If you’re looking for an upgraded version of sliced watermelon to munch on as a refreshing snack, this works great for that too.

Pair this Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad with your favorite protein source and healthy grain for a complete meal that absolutely crushes at family dinners and social gatherings. It’s quick, easy, and mouthwateringly delicious.

Print

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Description

Watermelon, Feta & Ming Salad is the ultimate healthy summer side dish. It’s cool, refreshing, and packed with fresh flavors! This recipe is written for 2 large or 4 small servings but it’s easily scaled up for a party of gathering.

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1. Toss watermelon chunks, sliced cucumbers, feta cheese, and mint into a large bowl, then add fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil and toss.
2. Divide into two individual serving bowls, then top with sea salt and pepper. Serve cold and enjoy!

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days, though, the watermelon will give off water, so this watermelon salad is often best the day it’s made.

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Notes

If you want to make it dairy-free or vegan, substitute the feta cheese with some lightly salted avocado chunks.

Watermelon Salad Recipe Variations

Looking to take some liberties? Here are some of my favorite ways to switch up this delicious dish:

• Use a different herb. Not a fan of mint? Try swapping it out for another fresh herb like basil or cilantro. Both of these herbs pair wonderfully with the bright flavors in this dish.
• Make it dairy-free. Looking for a dairy-free and vegan version? No problem. Watermelon and mint make for a dreamy combo on their own, so simply leave out the feta cheese altogether or substitute it with lightly avocado chunks.
• Give it a salty kick. Where there’s feta, you can often find kalamata olives. These salty little fruits (yes, they’re really fruits!) add a really nice flavor bomb to this salad, so feel free to toss some in if you’re an olive lover.
• Switch out the cheese. The feta cheese in this dish can easily be swapped out for goat cheese, which is another type of sharp and tangy cheese that works beautifully with watermelon and mint.
• Bring the heat. Fruit and chili is an unexpected flavor pairing that tastes absolutely amazing. If you’re a lover of all things spicy, try kicking this dish up a notch with a dash of cayenne or chili powder seasoning like Tajin.
• Give it a crunch. If you prefer more of a crunch, try adding a crunchy component like thinly sliced red onions, nuts, or seeds. Walnuts, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds would all work well in this dish.

If you try out any of these variations or come up with your own, let me know!

More Healthy Summer Salad Recipes

If you liked this dish, you’re going to LOVE these: