This refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint is perfect for summer. Sweet ripe watermelon salad combined with feta cheese and fresh mint is simply dressed with olive oil and lime juice. It’s a sweet-and-salty combination that looks just beautiful on the table for a backyard cookout, a potluck, or even a Sunday brunch!
My husband loves watermelon salad. During the summer, one of his favorite snacks is freshly sliced chilled watermelon with crumbly slices of feta. The saltiness of the cheese is a perfect compliment to the cool sweetness of the watermelon. He introduced me to the flavor combination, and now I’m hooked, too. Nothing says summer like fresh watermelon and feta!
A few weeks ago we had some friends over for dinner. The weather was just starting to warm up, so we decided to make it an outdoor dinner in our back yard. As I grocery shopped for the meal, my mind was on all the summery foods we’ve been missing. I browsed the produce section and noticed that ripe seedless watermelons were on sale. Of course, my mind went to watermelon and feta! I decided to create a simple summer salad with seedless watermelon chunks, crumbled feta cheese, fresh mint, and a homemade lime juice dressing.
After a little experimentation with the dressing, this is what I came up with! The salty citrus dressing really brings out the flavor of the watermelon, the mint is refreshing, and the feta adds a perfect touch of creaminess. Even those of you who don’t like sweet, fruity salads may appreciate this one– the flavor is truly unique.
It was a big hit with our friends, and I’m guessing it will be making regular appearances on our summer menu. It would might just be the perfect side-salad for your 4th of July barbecue. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
If at all possible, try to find goat or sheep’s milk feta– preferably the larger chunks sold in delis or cheese markets. I personally prefer the flavor of block feta to pre-crumbled feta. Enjoy!
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 pounds whole seedless watermelon, chilled (about 12 cups of cubed fruit)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 whole limes, juiced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (sheep’s milk feta preferred)
Instructions
- Note: This salad is best made just prior to serving. Prepare one hour or less before your meal.Cut rind from the watermelon, then chop the fruit into 1 inch chunks. Place chunks in a colander to drain as your chop.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, and black pepper to create a dressing.
- Place watermelon in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing and chopped mint over the watermelon and toss gently to coat. Pour the crumbled feta into the salad bowl and stir gently to integrate the cheese into the salad. Serve.
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I happened upon your website and I cannot wait to make this salad. I have mint taking over my garden and watermelon in the fridge. Now I just have to “get to town” so I can purchase more feta. Thanks for this recipe!
I just made this tonight and will be making it many many more times this summer. And I love your site! I found you via Tasty Kitchen
Thanks Jen! So happy you enjoyed the salad. I just checked out your blog, and I’m officially in love with your labrador. 😉
Love watermelon. Love feta. I mean, lloooove feta. This sounds like the perfect combo for a hot evening. Beautiful post.
Thanks Kita! Just checked out Pass the Sushi, it’s awesome! Looking forward to more of your posts. 🙂
This was “the lunch” during summer months at my grandparents’ house when we were kids. Not the mint but just watermelon and feta. That is a good way to replenish salt and water lost during summer. I love the dressing idea. Will give it a try this week! Hope you are doing well 🙂
Hey Ilke, thanks for stopping by! This salad makes me miss the Mediterranean. You’re right, it is a great way to hydrate… I’m actually serving it tomorrow at our 4th of July pool party! Hope you’re having a great weekend. 🙂
I have never seen goat or sheep’s milk feta in our stores here. They are all made of cows milk. Will it still work?
Millisa, you can absolutely use cow’s milk feta, no worries. Goat/sheep feta is just a flavor preference of mine, but cow feta will work equally well. Enjoy the salad!
When do you add the olive oil? I don’t see it in the written instructions.
Teres
Hey Teresa! You add the olive oil in the dressing ingredients, I corrected that step. Thanks for the heads up!
Hi. Can’t wait to try this. Do you know if the flavor changes too much if you use lemon instead of lime in the dressing?
Thanks!
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah– not too much, but you might not need as much lemon juice (lemon juice is sharper than lime). Taste the dressing as you go and add lemon juice only until it tastes good to you. Should turn out great! Let me know how you like it. 🙂
We must be on the same wavelength Tori, because I made a watermelon-feta salad to go with dinner tonight. I love that combination!
Thanks Kirsten! Now, can you send me over some of that white chocolate buttercream frosting please? 😉
Your husband is such a lucky man!
Joshua, that’s so sweet of you to say… but I must admit, I am the lucky one! <3
I never would have thought to combine watermelon with feta! That sounds so interesting. I love both watermelon and feta, so why not! I’m going to have to give this one a try. 🙂
Try it, Kristy! It may sound like a strange combo at first, but the flavors perfectly compliment each other. 🙂
Dear Tori,
Any recipe with Feta cheese in it is good for me 🙂
My wife and I love your site!
Thanks Kevin, I really appreciate the support. 🙂
Love this. Perfect for a summer day!
True, Sarah, it’s so refreshing!
I never thought of putting watermelon and feta together. I can’t wait to try this! It looks SO refreshing.
Hey Kaitlyn! Thanks for stopping by. Just checked out your blog, what a great way to stay motivated and learn to cook!
Can’t wait to try, but I have to make one with mint, one without. My wife sneezes when she eats mint. Gum, candy you name it.
Barry, that is adorable! I’ve never heard of a mint-sneezing allergy. It will taste great without the mint, but you can also substitute basil for a different flavor (if you like basil– and it doesn’t make your wife sneeze!).
Hi! I’ve got cut up watermelon in the fridge and can’t wait to try this. It looks yummy and such a summery dish. The colours are just beautiful. Now I just wish my summer weather will quickly come.
Hey Brownie! Let me know how it turns out for you. Just checked out your blog, so cute!
I just cut up a big watermelon today. Can’t wait to try your recipe! It sounds great! Interesting mix.
Enjoy, Perry! Let me know how you like it.
Ooooh! Very cool flavor combo. My brain is like ‘really!? We must try this!’ Guess I’m gonna have to give this a whirl 🙂 Thanks for sharing and for swinging by Deep Dish
It’s really good, PS… promise!
Tori…..YUM! Watermelon, Feta & Mint – delicious! I recently discovered the joys of mint with feta – it doesn’t make it minty….just fresher! Your photos are amazing, as always. what a great recipe! ….Thanks!
Feta and mint do compliment each other, don’t they Ann? This whole salad tastes very Greek to me, like I could be eating it on a boat somewhere in the Mediterranean… I wish!! Sigh…
Tori good job It’s not a strange taste the combo with feta and watermelon in fact Greeks use it all the time for breakfast.
Greek Cypriots use halloumi cheese (χαλούμι) from Cyprus with watermelon for decades now. Mint also usually accompany the halloumi cheese. The strange here is the olive oil where we do not use it with watermelon. Will try it also with salty myzithra cheese from Crete since you have started the cheese combinations with watermelon and let you know 🙂 thank you for the post of recipe
This looks fabulous! I will be making this soon! Lunch tomorrow?
I think YES, Gina! Go for it. 🙂
Can’t wait to get home to make this ..Yuummee!!
Enjoy Cynthia! 🙂