Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Feta
4 servings | 15 minutes
Beat the summer heat with this easy and refreshing Watermelon and Cucumber Salad with Feta. With juicy watermelon, crisp cucumbers, salty feta, and a tangy dressing, this salad is perfect for light lunches, barbecues, or picnics!
When temperatures are high, I always gravitate towards recipes that are equally as easy as they are cooling. This refreshing Watermelon and Cucumber Salad with Feta is the perfect light lunch, backyard barbecue side, or a sunny picnic snack that will help you beat the heat and have you slurping up the dressing. The juicy sweetness of watermelon, cooling bite of Persian cucumbers and salty feta has me happy enough but the tangy, (optionally) boozy dressing takes it up a notch.
Mixed with fresh basil, mint, and arugula, this salad is such a refreshing way to impress at your next summer party and is easy to throw together at the last minute. The vibrant colors and flavors make it a crowd-pleaser, and it pairs beautifully with a chilled glass of rosé. Serve it chilled for the ultimate cool-down experience on a hot day, and watch it become a seasonal favorite.
Picking the perfect watermelon for this salad
Watermelons are in peak season from late May to early September, offering the juiciest and sweetest fruit through the peak heat of summer. When picking the perfect watermelon, look for one that feels heavy for its size with a creamy yellow spot where it sat on the ground to ripen. A ripe watermelon will have a deep, hollow sound when you lightly tap it but that yellow spot is the key to sweet melon.
Hot tips for this cooling salad
This salad is best served fresh so if you need to prep ahead, just cut your watermelon and cucumber beforehand and store them separately until you’re ready to serve.
If you end up with a bigger watermelon than what you need here, blend the extras with mint and lime juice for a refreshing agua fresca—or just go heavy on the watermelon here.
The booze is totally optional here and you could get a little extra wild and swap the rum for tequila!
Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Feta
4 servings | 15 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups (750g) watermelon, peeled & cubed
2 (100g) Persian cucumbers, cut thinly
½ cup (80g) feta cheese
1 cup (20g) arugula, or watercress
½ cup (10g) basil and mint, torn
2 tbsp (28g) white balsamic
½ lime (20g), juiced
1 tbsp (15g) white rum, optional
Olive oil, finishing drizzle
Instructions
Cut a small slice off the bottom of the watermelon to create a flat, stable surface. This will prevent it from rolling around while you’re cutting. Place the watermelon upright on one of the flat ends. Starting from the top, cut downward along the curve of the fruit, removing the rind and the white pith. Double check for any remaining white pith and trim it off. From here, you can easily slice the watermelon vertically into big planks, then cut into 1” spears, and then into 1” cubes. Place 4 cups in a large bowl and snack on the rest or save for later.
Slice, or mandoline, 2 Persian cucumbers into ¼” rounds and add to the watermelon bowl.
Chop up or tear up 1/2 cup of basil and mint, adding them into the bowl. Add 1 cup of arugula.
Pour in the white balsamic vinegar, juice of half a lime, a pinch of salt, and the optional white rum over top of the salad. Toss it all together.
Transfer the salad to a serving dish, spooning the juices and dressing over top. Garnish with crumbled feta, a drizzle of olive oil and a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper.
