This Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad is everything I crave in the summer: juicy, refreshing, salty, tangy, and just a little herby. It’s the perfect side for any backyard BBQ or a quick lunch. It comes together in under 15 minutes.
Serve it with grilled proteins (Chicken Souvlaki, Beef Shish Kebab), as part of an appetizer or buffet spread (with some of my appetizer recipes). Perfect pairings and serving suggestions below!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy: Minimal prep, one bowl, and no cooking involved. A total win on hot summer days. Try some of my other one-bowl salad recipes: Mediterranean Pasta Salad, Strawberry Burrata Salad or Cucumber Chickpea Feta Salad.
- Perfect for summer: Juicy watermelon, tart blueberries, and crisp cucumbers are in their prime during the warm months, which makes this a great summer recipe.
- Versatile pairing: It complements grilled meats, seafood, or can stand alone as a light meal.
Ingredients
This feta cheese and watermelon salad recipe is pretty straightforward to make, with minimal and standard ingredients. Don’t skip the sumac! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Watermelon: I know how hard it is to pick a good watermelon! Seedless watermelon works best, but any kind will do. If you don’t want to buy a whole one, grocery stores will often sell a half or quarter watermelon in the refrigerator case. See expert tips below on how to pick the best watermelon!
- Cucumber: I almost exclusively use crunchy Persian cucumbers in my salad recipes. But if you only have access to an English cucumber, it’s not a problem. I would recommend peeling them as the skin can be a little tough.
- Blueberries: I like to add blueberries for an extra punch of sweetness and tartness to the salad.
- Feta Cheese: Greek feta cheese is the way to go! It’s creamy and the sourness really plays nicely with the sweetness from the other ingredients. You can certainly use goat cheese here too, but creamy and salty Feta just makes sense. Try my Cucumber Radish Feta Salad, Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki) and my Greek Butter Bean salad if you like feta.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh mint works really well with watermelon and cucumber. It’s fresh and fragrant. Fresh basil is a great alternative.
- Sumac: This Middle Eastern spice brings a tangy, citrusy note. Optional but highly recommended. Buy some from your local Middle Eastern market and use it in some of my other recipes like Sumac Onions, Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac Chicken) and Lebanese Fattoush Salad.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make this Watermelon Feta Salad recipe
Step 1. Make Dressing. In a large serving bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
Step 2. Assemble. Add sweet watermelon chunks, chopped cucumber, whole blueberries, crumbled tangy feta cheese, chopped mint, and a sprinkle of sumac to the bowl.
Step 3. Toss, taste and adjust. Gently toss everything together. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Garnish with some extra mint leaves. Serve immediately or chill for 10-15 minutes for an extra-refreshing bite.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
Serve alongside grilled proteins like my Chicken Shish Tawook, Marinated Greek Lamb Chops, Beef Kofta, Joojeh Kabob, Middle Eastern Beef Shish Kebabs, Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers or Harissa Chicken skewers.
It can also be part of a larger mezze (appetizer) spread along with Mutabal (Roasted Eggplant Dip), Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper Dip), Caramelized Eggplant Hummus, and Labneh Balls.
Expert Tips
- No need to slap the watermelon! Listen, we can’t all be watermelon picking pros like my dad! To pick a good watermelon, look for one that feels heavy for its size. This means it’s full of juice. Check the underside for a creamy yellow spot, called the field spot, which indicates it ripened on the vine. A deep, hollow sound when tapped is a good sign of ripeness, and the rind should be dull rather than shiny. Avoid melons with soft spots, cracks, or bruises.
- Even Pieces. Cut your watermelon into bite-sized pieces to avoid a soggy salad.
- Crumble the feta yourself for better texture and flavor.
- Don’t skip the lime zest. It adds so much extra zing!
- Other Additions: feel free to add some sliced red onion, olives, or a little balsamic glaze.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can prep the ingredients and dressing separately. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or glass container. Store both the prepared salad and dressing in the fridge for up to 1 day. Combine just before serving to keep everything fresh.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. This salad begins to deteriorate quickly as the watermelon starts to lose its crispness. Try to enjoy it all right away or at most, the very next day.
Other Salad Recipes
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Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad Recipe (in a Lime Dressing)
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Lime zest
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups Watermelon (cut into chunks)
- 3 Persian cucumbers (diced)
- 1 cup Blueberries
- ½ cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoon Sumac
Instructions
- Make Dressing. In a large serving bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon Lime zest, 1 tablespoon Lime juice, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon Black pepper to make the dressing.
- Assemble. Add 3 cups Watermelon (cut into chunks), 3 Persian cucumbers (diced), 1 cup Blueberries, ½ cup Feta cheese (crumbled), 2 tablespoon Fresh mint (finely chopped), and 2 teaspoon Sumac to the bowl.
- Toss, taste and adjust. Gently toss everything together. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Garnish with some extra mint leaves. Serve immediately or chill for 10-15 minutes for an extra-refreshing bite.
Notes
- Watermelon: I know how hard it is to pick a good watermelon! Seedless watermelon works best. If you don’t want to buy a whole one, grocery stores will often sell a half or quarter watermelon in the refrigerator case.
- Cucumber: I almost exclusively use crunchy Persian cucumbers in my salad recipes. But if you only have access to an English cucumber, it’s not a problem. I would recommend peeling them as the skin can be a little tough.
- Feta Cheese: Greek feta cheese is the way to go! It’s creamy and the sourness really plays nicely with the sweetness from the other ingredients. You can certainly use goat cheese here too, but creamy and salty Feta just makes sense.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh mint works really well with watermelon and cucumber. It’s fresh and fragrant. Fresh basil is a great alternative.
- Sumac: This Middle Eastern spice brings a tangy, citrusy note. Optional but highly recommended. Buy some from your local Middle Eastern market.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Love love this salad! I have made it several times this summer at family bbq and they can’t get enough of it!
Thank you for another delicious salad!
Refreshing, sweet, tangy. I served over arugula. It’s a keeper.
Thanks for the feedback, Vita!