Watermelon Salad
Few dishes are more refreshing than this Watermelon Salad tossed with salty feta, tender mint, creamy avocado, edamame, and simple lime dressing. It’s made for the hottest summer days!
Why You’ll Love This Watermelon Salad Recipe
- Sweet and Savory. I’ve sipped Watermelon Smoothies and I’ve eaten more slabs of cut watermelon than I can count, but pairing watermelon with savory, salty flavors like feta and red onion? That was a revelation. Think of it as the perfect hybrid between a summery Fruit Salad and a classic dinner salad made with fresh greens (like this Arugula Salad).
- Effortless Recipe. With a few simple chops and a quick toss (here’s The Best Way to Cut Watermelon), this watermelon salad is a cinch to make. That means time to enjoy the sunshine—and to whip up some summery Peach Margaritas!
- Light and Healthy. Watermelon feta salad is light and healthy, but it also manages to be satisfying so you could totally make a dinner out of it—especially on those hot, humid summer days when the only appealing foods are fruit, salad, and popsicles.
- The Best Summer Salad. Thanks to its vibrant colors and fresh flavors, this watermelon feta salad is basically summer on a plate!
5 Star Review
“I just made this for lunch and 3 of us gobbled up the whole thing! Great flavors!”
— Martha —
How to Make Watermelon Salad
The Ingredients
- Watermelon. Succulent and sweet. Watermelon is an unconventional salad base that is hydrating, low in calories, and contains ample amounts of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
- Feta. One. of the best pairings with watermelon! It adds contrasting creaminess and saltiness to the sweet, juicy watermelon.
Dietary Note
Make this watermelon salad recipe vegan by swapping out the conventional feta cheese for your favorite vegan feta cheese.
- Mint. Adds another layer of refreshing summer flavor and color.
Market Swap
Feel free to swap in other seasonal fresh herbs of your choice. While mint is my personal favorite, fresh basil also would be lovely in this salad.
- Lime. Gives this watermelon salad some zip and life. I prefer lime to lemon juice, as it’s not quite as acidic.
- Red Onion. Lends the salad a nice edge that I would have missed without it.
- Edamame. Nicely complements the juicy texture of the watermelon and adds protein.
- Avocado. Adds creaminess and makes the salad more filling and satisfying.
The Directions
- Soak the Red Onion. This removes some of its harsh, lingering bite.
- Make Dressing. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Toss. Combine the watermelon, edamame, mint, and drained red onion in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Finish. Add the avocado and feta and gently toss to incorporate. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Watermelon Salad With Cucumber. Not a fan of avocado? Can’t find a decent one at the grocery store? Make this recipe exactly as written, but swap the avocado with diced English cucumber.
- Spicy Watermelon Salad With Mango. Heat things up with thinly sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers and then add just a little more sweetness with diced mango. You can swap the feta for cotija cheese for some Tex-Mex flair.
- Arugula Watermelon Salad. Serve this salad over a bed of baby arugula, which adds a peppery contrast to the sweet melon. Finish with a drizzle of thick, syrupy balsamic vinegar or glaze before serving.
Storage Tips
- Make-Ahead. Watermelon salad can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Add the avocado and feta just before serving.
- To Store. This watermelon feta salad is best enjoyed within a few hours after it is fully dressed and assembled.
What to Serve with Watermelon Salad
- Grilled Foods. With its summery ingredients, this watermelon feta salad is fabulous with Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Grilled Shrimp.
- Chicken. Round out your dinner with a lean protein like Chicken Kabobs or Smoked Chicken Breast.
- Seafood. Balsamic Glazed Salmon or Grilled Swordfish would pair well with watermelon salad too.
- Burgers. Forget the fries! Serve my Teriyaki Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Shrimp Burgers with watermelon salad as a side dish.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Chef’s Knife. THE most important tool for any home cook. Make sure you have a good one!
- Extra Large Cutting Board. This one is the perfect size for cutting up a jumbo-size watermelon.
- Mixing Bowls. My favorite bowls because they work for prep and serving!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Soak the Red Onion. Doing so cuts the sharp bite of the onion; it’s still pungent and a nice contrast with the sweet watermelon, but it’s not quite as powerful. Another trick is to cut the onion as thin as possible, which also helps it be less assertive. If you have a mandoline slicer, you can practically shave the onion paper thin.
- Choose Seedless Watermelon. Even if it wasn’t a total pain in the you-know-what to pop the seeds out of the watermelon, doing so can make the melon mushy and full of holes—not exactly the look you want in your watermelon feta salad! Some say seedless has less flavor, but by the time this salad is dressed up, it has plenty of taste.
- Serve With a Slotted Spoon. Watermelon is 91% water so the salad will likely have some excess liquid at the bottom. I recommend serving it with a slotted spoon to drain some of it off.
- Don’t Assemble Too Far in Advance. If you need to get more of a head start on the recipe, whisk together the dressing, then prep the onion and watermelon and store them separately in the fridge. Drain the watermelon well, then assemble your salad. This allows you to get some of the prep work out of the way without taking away from the freshness of the salad.
Watermelon Salad
This refreshing Watermelon Salad is tossed with feta, avocado, mint, edamame, and lime dressing. The perfect watermelon salad for summer.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 –6 servings
Calories 186kcal
Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated
Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 4 cups watermelon 1-inch-diced
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium ripe avocado peeled, pitted and cut into large dice
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
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Place the red onion in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
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In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper.
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To a large serving bowl, add the watermelon, edamame, mint, and drained red onion.
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Pour dressing over the watermelon mixture and toss to coat.
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Add the avocado and feta and gently toss to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The salad will likely have some excess liquid at the bottom from the watermelon, so I recommend serving it with a slotted spoon.
Notes
- TO STORE: This watermelon feta salad is best enjoyed within a few hours after it is dressed and assembled.
- MAKE-AHEAD: Watermelon salad can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Add the avocado and feta just before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6) | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Cut a Watermelon for Salad?
There’s no need to get out your melon baller for this recipe! Simple 1-inch cubes are just fine here—big enough to be juicy and delicious, but small enough that you don’t need to slice them on the plate before eating them.
How Do You Make Watermelon More Flavorful?
It’s always a bummer when you cut into a watermelon and realize it tastes bland. One of the tricks for enhancing the flavor of bland watermelon is to add lime juice and salt, and you’ll find both of them in this watermelon salad recipe!
Which Watermelons Are Sweet?
Look for a watermelon that is round rather than oval, and that has an orange “field spot” (i.e., the spot where the melon rested on the ground), a dull sheen, and large webbing.
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