The Best Watermelon Mint Feta Salad Is A Few Slices Away
Every flavor in this watermelon salad is a favorite. There’s spicy red onion, and refreshing basil and mint, hunks of tangy feta, and six whole cups of crisp watermelon! Once you make the best watermelon salad, you can celebrate the summer with other great dishes like Grilled Chicken Shawarma Kebab and Grilled Corn for a backyard bonanza.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Easy Watermelon Salad
English cucumber – Juicy, with fewer seeds than regular cucumbers, English cucumbers are generally sweeter and more delicate than the common cucumber.
Red onion – It’s spicy in the way only an onion can be. If you don’t have red onions around, shallot onions will substitute nicely.
Feta cheese – This sheep’s milk cheese is tangy, with a texture that perfectly contrasts the watermelon and cucumber. One of our favorites for cooking, from Za’atar Roasted Carrots with Feta to Greek Shrimp.
Fresh mint – Maybe you have a mint plant that is currently taking over your yard. Now is its time to shine!!
Fresh basil – The most summertime of herbs. It’s the right time to whip up some Basil Vinaigrette and Basil Pesto, too.
How To Make Watermelon Salad
Cut the watermelon. We’re looking for six cups of ¾-inch cubed watermelon. The easiest way to cut watermelon is to break it down in sections using a good kitchen knife. Start by cutting the ends off and then making a cut around the equator of the melon, then cutting it into quarters or eighths. From there you can easily remove the rinds, being sure to remove as much of the white rind as possible.
Mix the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Make the salad. Place the watermelon, cucumber, onions, feta, mint, and basil in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until combined.
Sprinkle with the remaining feta, mint, basil, and flaky salt to taste.
Serve immediately to great delight.
How to Store/Tips
Leftovers: Leftovers don’t hold up past a couple of days, and don’t freeze well. But if you have leftover plain cut watermelon, we highly recommend blending up some Watermelon Agua Fresca.
Serving the salad: Once the ingredients are mixed with the dressing, this salad releases a lot of liquid but it is still delicious! If this isn’t being eaten immediately, stir the salad often and we recommend using a slotted spoon for service to help drain the excess liquid.
Choosing watermelon: Have you ever found yourself in front of a stack of watermelons wondering which one to buy? You might have seen someone thumping the melons, and while this might feel like a silly grocery activity, a low and hollow sound means that the melon contains more water and is riper. Likewise, heavy round melons are usually riper and sweeter than their oblong counterparts. And last but not least, stretch marks are good! This indicates that the melon has ripened in the sun longer, and will deliver a sweeter bite!
On vinegar: We call for white balsamic vinegar, because it results in a lighter and crisper dressing than one made with dark balsamic vinegar. If you can’t find white balsamic, you can sub with white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar to prevent color changes and keep the flavor mild in this recipe. Regular balsamic tends to be very strong in flavor, and would overwhelm the ingredients in this light summer salad.
More Summertime Salad Celebrations From The Modern Proper
Summer Salads, We Salute You!
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