Watermelon Feta Salad
A new spin on the classic watermelon feta salad! My feta salad has tons of sweet strawberries, cubed watermelon, briny feta cheese, crunchy cucumbers, and pistachios! This is the perfect watermelon salad to bring to a picnic this summer!
While I love simple fruit salads during the summer when I can enjoy gorgeous fruits all the time, I also have a thing for savory fruit salads. Something magical happens when fresh, extra-sweet fruit meets savory elements like olive oil and flaky salt. My go-to savory fruit salad is this watermelon and feta salad, which I make repeatedly during the summer.
I crave this simple salad when watermelon is in season, and then I make it at least once a week (for real!). It’s crunchy, juicy, sweet, salty, and perfectly balanced.
What Is Watermelon Feta Salad?
This sweet-and-salty pairing is nothing new, but with a few savory additions this refreshing fruit salad will be the perfect summer meal or a shining side dish at your next potluck. Here, thinly sliced red onion and Persian cucumber add layers of crunch that pair well with cubes of watermelon. Finishing with a simple dressing that’s a mix of olive oil and rice vinegar highlights watermelon’s naturally sweet flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Watermelon Salad
Watermelon: You’ll need two pounds of seedless watermelon, which is about 1/4 of a large one.
Feta cheese: Its crumbly texture and distinctive briny flavor create a wonderful contrast to the sweet, crunchy, fruity taste of watermelon.
Lemon: While you can mix the juice and zest directly into the dressing, adding it over the watermelon adds a wonderful brightness.
Fresh mint: Adds an herbaceous and refreshing flavor to the salad.
Roasted pistachios: Impart a nutty flavor.
Flaky salt: Accentuates the natural sweetness of watermelon even more when sprinkled on top right before serving.
The recipe itself is forgiving and flexible. Sometimes, I add more mint or some sliced basil. Other times, I add crumbled goat cheese instead of feta. Whatever form your watermelon salad takes is sure to become a delicious summer ritual.
1/4 medium red onion
1 Persian cucumber
2 pounds seedless watermelon (1/4 large)
1 medium bunch fresh mint
6 ounces feta cheese (not crumbled)
1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons roasted, unsalted shelled pistachios
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Flaky salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the following, adding each to the same large bowl as you complete it: Thinly slice 1/4 medium red onion (about 1/3 cup). Halve 1 medium Persian cucumber lengthwise; scoop out the fleshy middle with a spoon and discard, then thinly slice the cucumber crosswise. Cut 2 pounds seedless watermelon into 1/2-inch cubes until you have 6 cups. Pick the leaves from 1 medium bunch fresh mint until you have 1/3 loosely packed cup, then thinly slice; slice more mint for garnish if desired. Cut 6 ounces feta cheese into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup).
Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon). Juice the lemon until you have 3 tablespoons. Coarsely chop 2 tablespoons pistachios.
Place 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Toss until combined. Garnish with the pistachios, mint, and flaky salt.