Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad Wedges With Feta

Fast, simple, cool, and fresh, this Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad With Feta is perfect for warm summer days. When you don’t want to be in the kitchen cooking, but rather lounging outside sipping sangria and feasting on summer favorites with friends. Ultra refreshing and hydrating watermelon, cucumber, and mint are paired with salty feta and sweet, tangy balsamic vinegar for a mix of flavors that is simply, the best.

VEGETARIAN ✓ LOW CARB ✓ KETO ✓ GLUTEN-FREE ✓

Recipe Notes

The last recipe I shared in the Summer Salad Series, the Classic Niçoise Salad With Crispy Smashed Potatoes & Jammy Eggs, was a large dinner salad, with a few extra components to be made (hello Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Jammy Eggs) that contributed to the delicious whole. This Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad With Feta could not be more different.

First, it is fast, fresh, refreshing, and simple to make, requiring no cooking or extra steps. It’s ready in a flash. This watermelon salad is a smaller, more diminutive, appetizer style “salad” – and each wedge is quite low in calories, making it guilt free – even if you eat more than one! It would be fabulous to serve at a summer party or barbecue.

The Ingredients

Watermelon is hydrating, low in calories, and rich in essential vitamins (such as vitamins A and C) and minerals (like potassium). Watermelon’s antioxidants and lycopene contribute to heart health, help reduce inflammation, support healthy skin, and may have potential anti-cancer properties. To get the right sized wedges for this recipe, you will want to find a fairly large watermelon, so that when you cut a slice into quarters they are around 4″ wide in the largest part.

Cucumbers, much like watermelon, are low in calories and high in water content, which make them great for hydration and weight management. They are a good source of potassium and Vitamin K and, like watermelon, contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that may promote skin health, support digestion, and provide potential anti-cancer properties.

Mint contains antioxidants and essential oils that have been shown to improve digestion. Fresh and cooling, it has been associated with improved cognitive function, focus, and stress reduction.

Feta Cheese, is a tangy, salty, crumbly cheese originating in Greece. It is a brined cheese, made from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. Feta cheese has high amounts of calcium and phosphorous as well as probiotic properties.

How To Make This Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad

This is a super simple “salad” to make, which makes it perfect for those hot summer days when you don’t want to cook and are craving something cool and refreshing. Full details are in the recipe far below.

Start by washing, drying, and prepping the ingredients. Cut a 1-1.5 inch slice of the watermelon, then cut this into quarters. Slice the cucumbers into 1/2 inch slices, and then into quarters. Slice the scallions into fine slivers. Cut the mint into slivers. Dice the feta and coarsely chop the pistachios (details in recipe below).

In a bowl toss the cucumber, scallions, and mint with some olive oil. Add the feta to the bowl and gently combine, set aside.

Now you are ready to put this all together. To plate the “salad”, first add the watermelon wedges (or wedge if you are plating them individually). Spoon the cucumber feta mixture on top of the wedge being careful to keep it piled on top. Drizzle the wedges with balsamic vinegar. Top with the chopped pistachios, Finish off with salt and fresh ground black pepper and you are ready to serve! See it come together below. Scroll down for more tips and tricks.

How To Style This Salad

The first thing to consider when styling a salad, is the role the ingredients have in the final dish. Are there stand-alone ingredients that deserve to be given their own space, like with my Grilled Smoked Mozzarella Salad With Summer Vegetables – or do the ingredients need to be mixed together in order to blend the flavors and create a more uniform experience, like with my Avocado, Egg & Arugula Salad With Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette.

These Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad Wedges are best served in a composed style, meaning plated and arranged with purpose.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few things that might help:

• Add extra zing by drizzling more balsamic vinegar on the finished salad.
• Top with sea salt and a grind of black pepper.
• This salad is best served soon after making for optimum presentation and taste. Though you can refrigerate for a few days, the watermelon will give off a bit of water and the mint will darken and not be as bright and fresh.
• If taking this to serve at a party, wait to drizzle the balsamic until you are ready to serve.

Substitutions

Here are some suggested substitutions to make this salad a better fit for your palate, preferences, and diet. If you are looking for specific substitutions, let me know in the comments below!

• Cheese Alternatives: Halloumi Cheese, Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta Salata
• Nut Alternatives: Pine Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds
• Other Add-Ins: Basil, Red Onions, Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers
• Make It More Keto-Friendly: Reduce the size of the watermelon wedge, and increase the topping ingredients.
• Make It Dairy-Free: Omit the cheese and substitute a dairy-free option or try avocado.

More Summer Fruit Salad Recipes To Try

Peach, Avocado & Feta Cheese Salad With Thyme Vinaigrette

Blood Orange And Roasted Beet Salad With Labneh & Pistachios

Cherry, Pistachio, Arugula Salad With Whipped Feta & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Peach, Tomato & Burrata Salad

Summer Strawberry Salad With Roasted Beets & Goat Cheese

If you make this Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad With Feta be sure to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see!

RECIPE: Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad With Feta

4 SERVINGS