Watermelon Salad

Watermelon salad is a treat! Sweet and crisp watermelon, creamy, salty feta cheese, and aromatic mint leaves are a match made in heaven that everyone should try.

Add some lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few other simple ingredients, and in less than 15 minutes, you've got probably the best summer salad ever made.

Watermelon

Pick a small, sweet watermelon with no seeds or a few yellow seeds.

Look for seedless watermelon at the store; they are usually the smaller ones with a uniform dark green colored shell.

Giant watermelons with black seeds are delicious; however, making a salad with them might be challenging because you might have to remove at least some of their black seeds.

We like to cut the watermelon into cubes with a knife, but you also use a melon baller if you want a round shape.

If you can't find good watermelon, you can substitute strawberries for it.

Feta Cheese

Feta is a Greek cheese made from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk.

While in some countries, the "Feta" name is protected by law - meaning that if you buy a cheese labeled "Feta," you are going to get "real Feta" - in the US, that's not the case.

If you don't pay attention, you will not get Feta, but more of a white salty salad cheese called Feta (which might taste good, but it's not Feta).

So, if you appreciate good food, and want to eat authentic Greek Feta, make sure the cheese you are about to purchase is produced in Greece, from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk.

Also, I'd recommend purchasing a whole block of Feta and crumbling it with your hands. Unfortunately, we could not find feta crumbles made with authentic Greek Feta; if you do, let us know.

For vegans, Feta is challenging to replace. You can use a vegan feta cheese replacement; Violife has a decent one, or keep the cheese out and replace it with toasted and salted nuts (pistachios or almonds).

Mint

Fresh mint leaves highlight this watermelon salad and have perfect flavor affinity with watermelon and Feta.

The other fresh herb that works well in this recipe is fresh basil. We use them to dress the salad, plus some extra to sprinkle on top.

Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds acidity and freshness and behaves like a flavor booster for the other ingredients. You can substitute lime juice for lemon juice.

Lemon Zest

The lemon zest elevates this salad, adding a pleasant lemon aroma. If you have five minutes to spare, I'd recommend peeling the lemon with a vegetable peeler, slicing the lemon zest julienne (thin strips) with a knife, then finely chopping it into tiny dice to sprinkle on top of the salad. Otherwise, you can grate the zest.

Olive Oil

We recommend using extra virgin olive oil if possible. This heart-healthy oil has a fruitier and nuttier flavor than regular olive oil.

As mentioned in the introduction, the secret to making a delicious watermelon salad is to keep the ingredient list to a minimum and let the three main ingredients (watermelon, feta cheese, and mint leaves) shine.

The salad is delicious without any add-ins; however, if you want to, you can pick one or two of the following without ruining the essence of this dish.

• Pistachio nuts (toasted and not salted)
• Avocado
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Basil
• Black olives or Kalamata olives
• Balsamic glaze or good quality balsamic vinegar
• Arugula

Our favorite pick is pistachio nuts to add crunch and nutty flavor.

Cut the watermelon in half, put it on a cutting board, cut side down, and peel the rind with a sharp knife until all white flesh is removed.

Next, cut the watermelon into about 1-inch slices.

Cut each slice into 1-inch sticks, then into bite-size 1-inch cubes.

Gently transfer the watermelon cubes into a large bowl or serving platter. Season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and finely sliced mint leaves.

Toss gently with a spoon or with your hands to distribute the condiments.

Finally, top with crumbled Feta, toasted pistachio nuts, finely chopped or grated lemon zest, and more finely sliced mint leaves.

Serve immediately and enjoy with a spoon so that you can pick up the delicious juices.

Watermelon Tomato Salad

Combine sliced black olives, a few halved cherry tomatoes, half thinly sliced red onion, and fresh basil leaves with the watermelon cubes.

Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss gently, then add crumbled Feta, lemon zest, and more basil.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad

Add crisp cucumber, sliced basil leaves, and thinly sliced red onion to the watermelon cubes. Add diced avocado to make this watermelon salad recipe tastier and creamier.

Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Top with crumbled Feta and lemon zest.

Serving Suggestions

Our favorite way to serve this watermelon salad recipe is with other delicious salads, spreads, and dips. For example, you can serve it for brunch or bring it to a potluck or picnic with a:

• Moroccan carrot salad
• Green bean salad
• Panzanella salad
• Tofu and tahini salad
• Chickpea hummus
• Avocado spread
• Eggplant dip

Alternatively, you can serve it as a refreshing appetizer, combined with bruschetta, or homemade croutons topped with olive tapenade for a crunchy and poppy flavor.

Finally, you can certainly serve watermelon feta and mint salad as a side dish with many of our easy plant-based dinners. Try:

• Vegan fish with tomatoes, olives, and lemon
• Pan-fried tofu with lemon
• Orange tofu with sticky sweet and sour sauce
• Marinara sauce on pasta or with tofu meatballs
• Penne arrabbiata

If you're a fan of fresh and vibrant summer salads, try our favorite crisp and cool recipes:

More Salad Recipes

Choose your next side dish or meal from this list of colorful and fresh salads, all of them with vegan and vegetarian variations:

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