Bity
The first time someone put feta on my watermelon salad I genuinely thought they had lost the plot. However, salty cheese against cold sweet fruit turns out to be one of those combinations you cannot un-taste, and now I make it every week from June onwards.
There is no cooking here at all. You cube, you whisk, you toss, and the whole thing takes about twenty minutes including the tidying up. Of course, the trick is knowing when to dress it, and I will come to that.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Watermelon Salad
- Twenty minutes, no heat. Perfect for the week when putting the oven on feels like a personal attack.
- It travels well if you pack it right. Keep the dressing separate and it survives the journey to a barbecue.
- Sweet, salty, sharp and cold all at once. Honestly, it wakes up a plate of grilled meat better than any side I know.
- Cheap in season. One watermelon feeds six people twice over.
- Endlessly adaptable. Swap the herb, add nuts, drop the onion. It still works.
Ingredient Notes
- Watermelon. Seedless makes life easier. Look for a heavy melon with a creamy yellow patch where it sat on the ground, because that is the sign it ripened properly. It is also about 91% water, which is why dietitians rate it as a genuinely hydrating food, and why the draining issue below matters so much.
- Feta. Buy the block in brine rather than the pre-crumbled tubs. It is creamier, less dry, and it holds its shape when you fold it in.
- Cucumber. Adds a green, crisp note that stops the whole bowl tasting like pudding.
- Red onion. Slice it as thinly as you possibly can. Thick slices dominate everything.
- Mint. Slice it at the last second. Because torn mint blackens quickly, cutting it early costs you the colour.
- Lime and honey. The acid and the sweetness together are what stop the salad tasting flat and one-note.
What Dressing Goes Well With Watermelon Salad
Keep it sharp and keep it thin. A heavy, creamy dressing slides straight off wet fruit and pools at the bottom of the bowl. Lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper is all this needs, whisked until the honey has properly dissolved.
Ratios matter more than ingredients here. Two parts lime to one part honey to one part oil gives you something bright enough to cut the feta without turning the whole thing into a syrup. For example, if you are using a particularly sweet melon, pull the honey back by half and add a little extra lime instead.
Balsamic glaze is the other classic pairing. Still, I would drizzle it over the top at the table rather than tossing it through, since it stains the fruit a muddy colour within minutes.
How To Make This Watermelon Salad
1. Cube the melon. First, cut the watermelon into bite-sized cubes and tip them into a large serving bowl. Aim for pieces you can eat in one go without them collapsing.
2. Add the cucumber and onion. Next, dice the cucumber and slice the red onion very thinly, then add both to the bowl.
3. Whisk the dressing. Then combine the lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.
4. Dress and toss. After that, pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat everything.
5. Add the feta and mint. Now scatter over the cubed feta and the finely sliced mint.
6. Fold, do not stir. Fold everything together with a light hand so the feta stays in pieces instead of smearing through the fruit.
7. Serve. Finally, serve straight away, or chill for up to an hour if you want it properly cold.
Why It Turns Watery, and How to Stop It
Both of the main ingredients are mostly water, and salt pulls that water out. So the moment the dressing goes on, a clock starts. Within an hour you will see liquid gathering at the bottom of the bowl, and by the next day the fruit has gone slack and the feta has turned pink.
The fix is simply timing. Cube the melon and cucumber ahead, keep them covered in the fridge, mix the dressing up to three days early, and combine the whole lot in the last five minutes before it hits the table. That said, if you do end up with a puddle, drain it off and drink it. It is delicious.
Tips for the Best Watermelon Salad
- Chill the melon thoroughly before cubing. A cold salad tastes sharper and holds together better than a room-temperature one.
- Soak the sliced onion in cold water for ten minutes if raw onion is too aggressive for you, then pat dry.
- Salt lightly. The feta is already salty, so taste before you add more.
- Use a serrated knife for the melon and a sharp one for the cucumber.
- Save the prettiest mint tips to scatter on top at the end.
- Add the feta last every time. In addition, cubing it rather than crumbling gives you proper pockets of salt.
Storage Options
- Dressed salad. Airtight in the fridge for up to one day, though the texture drops noticeably after a few hours.
- Prepped components. Cubed fruit and vegetables keep for two days covered in the fridge, stored separately.
- Dressing. Up to three days in a sealed jar. Shake before using.
- Freezing. Not suitable. The fruit turns to mush on thawing.
Variations and Substitutions
- Herb swap. Basil instead of mint gives it a completely different, more Italian character.
- Add crunch. Toasted pistachios or pumpkin seeds scattered on at the end. For another cold side with bite, this creamy coleslaw does a similar job.
- No honey. Maple syrup works, or leave it out entirely if the melon is very sweet.
- Different cheese. Ricotta salata or a mild goat cheese both stand in well.
- Heat. A pinch of chilli flakes or thin jalapeño rings is very good against the sweetness.
- Make it a meal. Add torn mozzarella and serve with bread, much like you would alongside a creamy chicken pasta salad.
What to Serve With Watermelon Salad
It belongs next to anything off a grill. Because the salad is cold, sweet and sharp, it cuts through smoke and fat better than a heavy side does. In fact, I will often put it out with classic potato salad so there is something starchy alongside it.
For a full summer spread, add garlic butter green beans and plenty of bread. A cold glass of something dry and white finishes it off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients and Method
What goes into a watermelon salad?
At its simplest, cubed melon, feta, cucumber, red onion and mint, dressed with lime, honey and olive oil. Of course, the fruit and the cheese are the two non-negotiables; everything else is there to add crunch, sharpness or colour.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Prep the parts ahead, but combine at the last minute. Because salt draws water out of both the melon and the cucumber, a fully assembled bowl starts leaking within the hour.
Can I skip the honey?
Yes. Leave it out or replace it with maple syrup. That said, a little sweetness in the dressing helps balance the salt from the feta, so taste before you decide.
What is the best combination with watermelon?
Salt and acid. Feta and lime here, but salted ricotta, prosciutto, chilli and basil all work on the same principle. In addition, mint and cucumber push it in a cooler, fresher direction.
Storage and Serving
How long do leftovers keep?
About a day in an airtight container, and it will be noticeably softer. Instead of storing it dressed, keep any undressed fruit separately and dress a fresh bowl.
Can I freeze it?
No. Watermelon collapses completely once frozen and thawed. Still, frozen melon cubes blended straight from the freezer make an excellent slushie.
What can I add for extra crunch?
Toasted pistachios, pumpkin seeds or flaked almonds. After all, the salad is soft throughout, so a bit of texture on top makes it far more interesting to eat.
Should I serve it cold or at room temperature?
Cold, and properly so. Chill the melon before you cube it, then serve within the hour for the sharpest flavour and the firmest texture.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 small seedless watermelon cubed, about 1.2 kg flesh
- 200 g feta cheese cubed or crumbled
- 1/2 small red onion very thinly sliced, about 50 g
- 1 small cucumber diced, about 200 g
- 15 g fresh mint leaves finely sliced
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 30 ml
- 1 tablespoon honey 21 g
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the cubed watermelon into a large serving bowl.
- Add the diced cucumber and thinly sliced red onion.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt and black pepper until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the watermelon mixture and gently toss to coat.
- Add the feta cheese and the sliced mint.
- Lightly fold everything together, being careful not to break up the feta too much.
- Serve immediately, or chill for up to 1 hour before serving.
