You'll love this simple watermelon salad recipe with cucumbers, feta, and mint, all covered in a zesty honey and lime dressing. A summer favorite, this refreshing watermelon feta salad is the perfect dish for a crowd.
Growing up by the shores of the Mediterranean, my summers in Port Said, Egypt consisted of two things: the beach and watermelons. I remember spending long days on the sunny beach with my favorite snack in hand: slices of watermelon topped with crumbles of creamy feta.
I still love nothing more than the combination of salty feta over sweet, cool watermelon. And this watermelon salad with cucumbers, feta, and fresh herbs, is another level of delicious. I think of this watermelon feta salad as grown up version of my favorite snack, and the zesty honey-lime dressing sure brings everything together.
Every bite of this salad is as refreshing and packed with flavor as it looks. Try it once, and you'll have it all season long!
Watermelon salad recipe ingredients
This summer salad is the perfect combination of flavors. Juicy, fresh watermelon goes well with cool cucumbers, fresh herbs, and the rest of the savory ingredients in this salad. It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Here are the fresh ingredients you need and some notes on how to prepare them:
- Watermelon. You can use 1 small watermelon or ½ a large watermelon. You'll need to peel and cut the watermelon into cubes (see tips for how to cut a watermelon in my easy tutorial), but you can also use a melon baller, if you're after a fancier look.
- English cucumber or hot house cucumber. English cucumbers are sweeter and their skin is not took thick or waxy, so you don't need to peel them. If you end up using American slicing cucumbers, you'll want to peel and seed the cucumbers before slicing.
- Mint and basil leaves. I used a good amount of herbs here, about 1 cup packed of each (or 15 leaves of mint and 15 leaves of fresh basil), roughly chopped or torn. Trust me, you need the punch of freshness from these herbs!
- Creamy feta cheese. You'll need about ½ cup or more of creamy crumbled feta. I usually start with a small block of feta packed in the brine, and I don't mind crumbling it myself. Feta packed in the brine is more creamy and not as salty as dry, already crumbled feta (besides I always keep a block of feta on hand in case the mood strikes for a delicious baked feta appetizer).
Dressing for watermelon feta salad
With juicy watermelons and cucumber, you may think the dressing is unnecessary. While this watermelon and feta salad is delicious without a dressing, a simple and bright dressing like I use here does bring it together and enhances the flavor. You only need 4 ingredients for the honey-lime dressing:
- Honey. I used 2 tablespoons of our Greek honey from Crete, the thyme and wild
- Lime juice. You can use lemon juice if that's what you have on hand
- Extra virgin olive oil. I recommend 2 tablespoons of our Greek Early Harvest EVOO or our fruity Spanish Hojiblanca EVOO for this salad.
- Kosher salt. Just a pinch is all you need here to help draw out some of the delicious juices in the cubed cucumber and watermelons.
A few tips for how to make watermelon salad
To make this salad, you just add your watermelon cubes, cucumber, torn fresh herbs in a large salad bowl or platter. Pour the honey-lime dressing on top, then gently toss to combine. Finally, crumble your feta cheese and sprinkle it all over the salad.
Keep in mind that soon after watermelons are cut and dressed, the liquid slowly seeps out of the flesh, and along with it, the sweet flavor you associate with watermelon. So, this watermelon salad with cucumber is best prepared and enjoyed on the same day. But you can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge.
Variations
You can change up this Mediterranean watermelon salad to your liking. In addition to cucumbers, feta, and fresh herbs, here are a few more ingredients that go well with watermelon:
- Shallots or red onions. Thinly sliced shallots will add a little punch.
- Avocado. Dice up a creamy avocado to add a little indulgence and fat to this salad.
- Hot peppers. You can slice up some jalapeno rings for added crunch and heat.
- Red pepper flakes such as Aleppo-Style pepper. I love Aleppo-style pepper over watermelons and over mangos, it is not too spicy but adds enough of a kick with hints of sweetness. I highly recommend it!
Leftovers
We don't typically have much left of this refreshing salad, but you can keep leftover watermelon cucumber salad in the fridge in a tightly-closed glass container for up to 2 days. Drain excess liquid and test the salad before serving though.
Serve this watermelon cucumber salad with
This is the quintessential summer salad to serve next to any of your grilled meats, chicken skewers, or even fish. Great for sandwich night next to salmon burgers or even shawarma. And it's a good change from pasta salad (or in addition to) for a picnic.
More recipes and salads with fresh fruit
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Mediterranean Watermelon Salad Recipe with Feta and Cucumber
Ingredients
For the Honey-Lime Dressing
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoon quality extra virgin olive oil I used Greek Early Harvest
- pinch of salt
For the Watermelon Salad
- ½ watermelon peeled, cut into cubes
- 1 English or Hot House cucumber, cubed (about 2 cupfuls of cubed cucumbers)
- 15 fresh mint leaves chopped
- 15 fresh basil leaves chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese more to your liking
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, olive oil and pinch of salt. Set aside for a moment.
- Make the Salad. In a large bowl or serving platter with sides, combine the watermelon, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.
- Top the watermelon salad with the dressing and gently toss to combine. Top with the feta cheese and serve!
Video
Notes
- Variations: you can add shallots or red onions, avocado cubes, or hot peppers. You can also season the salad with a dash of Aleppo-style pepper flakes which adds a little bit of heat with sweet undertones.
- Tips for Leftovers: Because this is a super watery salad, with watermelon and cucumber being the star ingredients, it is best to finish it on the same day you prepare it. However, if you have some leftovers, you can store in a tight-lid glass container for a night or two (test before serving.)
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices!
Nutrition
*This post has been recently updated with new information and media for readers' benefit.
Allyson says
Love love love this! Someone else said this but I have had other watermelon salads but the dressing and the addition of the basil really makes it! I’ve shared it with several people! Thank u!!
Suzy says
Awesome! Thanks, Allyson!
EAC says
My husband never eats salads or vegetables. Never. He had seconds of this! Thank you.
Suzy says
Sounds like a winner! Thanks for sharing
Joseph Xavier says
Hi Suzy... awesome recipe good dressing and the flavour of basil and mint leaves with watermelon great... thanks for your good recipe.....
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Joseph!
Brittany says
Can you use lemon juice instead of lime?
Suzy says
Sure, Brittany! Enjoy
Alexis says
DELICIOUS! Honestly, I was a bit skeptical with the dressing... I can’t say enough about it though! Gives it that extra blast of flavor. Love love love this!
Suzy says
I know! A surprising combo of flavors, but they really work well together! So glad you enjoyed it!
Anna says
I love watermelon with feta! This salad will be on repeat all summer long!
Lisa says
I’ve made a similar salad several time’s but without basil and your yummy dressing. Those two things made a big taste difference. This is now my favourite watermelon salad.
Suzy says
Oh so glad, Lisa! Thanks for sharing
ellen reynolds says
Refreshing. Light. Cucumbers, watermelon, feta, and mint all work together fabulously.
Debbie DeBoer says
I have made this recipe a couple of times this summer and it is simply delicious. Everyone liked it. Definitely a keeper!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank you, Debbie! Wonderful to hear
Kathy K says
Best summer salad ever!
Suzy Karadsheh says
I'll have to agree! Thanks, Kathy!
Mary says
Tasty good. Love the dressing especially. My husband is Egyptian and he loves feta with watermelon. Thanks for sharing.
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Mary! Thanks so much for sharing
Maria J Del Re says
Loved this salad with it's fresh and simple flavors. Must be eaten soon after it's tossed together.
Chuck says
What a delightful & healthy Mediterranean watermelon Salad, My wife and I just loved it,
Next time we will have it with you Greek-style baked cod recipe that sounds mouth watering.
I will be following you on line and signed up to receive email from you. I love cooking and you have made me a better cook and for this I say Thank You,
Suzy Karadsheh says
Glad I could help! Hope you enjoy!
Cissi says
I made the salad for a Fourth of July party and it got rave reviews. I like that your recipes are simple with super flavor combinations.
Suzy Karadsheh says
I'm so glad to hear it, Cissi! thanks so much for sharing!
Faizel Mootheril says
I had my reservations about Watermelon in a salad but it was a surprise to see how good it was and everyone enjoyed it very much!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Faizel, I am so glad you gave this one a try! And thank you for sharing your kind feedback!
Ebr Usam says
Gave this one a try and was very impressed with the flavors! I used olives.
The olives make this salad shine...used mint flakes; about a tsp!
Definitely drain watermelon & tomatoes before mixing to serve. I used more olives & feta than called for and about a tbsp of fresh chopped flat Italian parsley... use the best EVOO & Red wine vinegar that you can afford... Great recipe!!!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Glad you liked it Ebr! Agreed, great extra virgin olive oil makes all the difference!
Besurprised says
I thought this was great. I will try an avocado and some shrimp to make it a meal
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks for the comment and glad you liked it!
Ashley F says
So simple and so easy! Will be making it all summer long!
lauren kelly says
I absolutely love watermelon and feta together! This salad is so delicious!
Lori says
So delicious, thank you!