Quick and easy watermelon salad recipe, homemade in one pot with simple ingredients. Ready in 15 minutes. Loaded with watermelon, cucumbers, onion, mint and feta cheese.
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The best salad I ever had was at a small Greek restaurant on one of my travels. It was super juicy and sweet and salty with a hint of minty freshness. Now, this recipe with red onion and feta is not identical to that one, but it comes very close. The combination of fruits and vegetables used will help you beat the Summer heat, especially at any potluck or barbecue as a side dish. Better yet, you likely won't have to worry about someone bringing the same thing since this recipe is unique like my Easy Pear Salad (One Bowl).
Table of contents
Key ingredients
- Watermelon- You will want to cut it into large cubes.
- Cucumber- Find one that is fresh and crispy to compliment the watermelon.
- Onion- Use very thin slices, since the flavor is overpowering on its own.
- Mint- Be sure it is fresh for the best flavor.
- Basil- Using fresh as opposed to dried will yield best results.
- Olive oil- High quality oil means high quality taste.
- Lime juice- This adds just a touch of refreshing citrus.
- Spices- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder are used for this recipe.
- Honey- Sweetens things up and adds to the overall dressing.
- Feta cheese- Really brings in that strong and delicious Greek flavor.
Variations
- Grill it- Grill watermelon slices first and use that in this recipe. You might as well also do some Grilled Chicken Breast (One Pan) to go along with it as well.
- Add tomatoes- Add 1 cup of cherry tomatoes. The sweeter, the better. If you are looking for other ways to use up all that garden produce, check out my recipe for Cherry Tomato Salad and Cucumber Tomato Salad (One Bowl).
- Use arugula- Add 2 cups of roughly chopped arugula to make a more green salad like this Mandarin Orange Salad (One Bowl).
- Add balsamic glaze- Drizzle balsamic glaze on top of this salad, just prior to serving.
- Substitute mint- With fresh basil or fresh cilantro or even green onions to change the flavor profile a bit.
How to make easy watermelon salad recipe from scratch?
- Add fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs in large bowl- This includes watermelon cubes, onion, cucumbers, basil, mint (Image 1).
- Add salad dressing ingredients- This includes olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and honey (Image 2,3,4,5).
- Mix- Until combined (Image 6).
- Top it off- With feta cheese and serve immediately (Image 7).
What to serve with this salad?
- Protein- Will compliment a salad well, such as Instant Pot Shredded Beef , BBQ Shredded Beef (One Pot), or Mexican Shredded Chicken (One Pot).
- Keep it vegetarian- With recipes alongside it like this Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings (One Pan), Vegetarian Quesadillas (One Pan), or Instant Pot Vegetable Pasta.
- Sandwiches- Serve it alongside Ham and Cheese Sliders (One Pan), Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (One Pan), or this Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich.
Tips and techniques
- Use a very ripe watermelon- Because this will give you the maximum juiciness and flavor.
- Adjust the amount of feta cheese- So it is based on your personal preference.
- Don't use any other cheese beside feta- Because it gives the best Greek/ Mediterranean flavor.
- Add more or less onions- Based on your preference. I don't add a lot, because its strong flavor can over-power all of the other flavors.
- Use whatever fresh herbs you like- I used basil and mint. Make sure they are fresh for best overall flavor.
- Lemon juice can be used- Instead of lime juice since it still brings in a citrus flavor.
Recipe FAQs
As the watermelon sits, it releases a lot of water, making the entire dish watery. The best approach is to toss and combine all the ingredients just before serving and not make it ahead of time. You can, however, do all the prep work like cutting melons, chopping up the mint e.t.c. ahead of time.
Yes. Some might think it is odd to mix fruits and vegetables when making a salad, but this combination of melon, cucumbers, and onions is absolutely delicious and creates a wonderful balanced flavor profile.
Yes. More often people will have lemon juice on hand, so you can use this in place of lime juice. It will still bring in a similar flavor.
Storage
- Make ahead- The salad, dressing and topping can be prepared separately and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Combine just prior to serving.
- Refrigerate- Place in sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 days but it will become a little soggy and watery.
- Freeze- This is not recommended at all.
More one bowl salad recipes
- Creamy Grape Salad (One Bowl)
- Italian Tortellini Salad (One Bowl)
- Cherry Tomato Salad (One Bowl)
- Easy Green Salad (One Bowl)
- Carrot Raisin Salad (One Bowl)
Recipe
Easy Watermelon Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 Watermelon 5 pound, Cut into small 2 inch cubes
- 1.5 cups Cucumber Cut into small 1 inch cubes
- ½ cup Onion Cut into thin slices
- 12 Mint leaves Fresh, Roughly chopped
- 12 Basil leaves Fresh, Roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoon Lime juice Or lemon juice
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2-3 tablespoon Honey
- ½ cup Feta cheese Crumbled
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, add watermelon, cucumber, onion, mint, basil, oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey and mix until everything is combined properly.
- Sprinkle feta cheese on top and enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
- Try other herbs instead of mint such as cilantro, green onions, dill, parsley.
- Add some red chili flakes for a spicy kick.
- I like this with lime juice but you can use lemon juice. Fresh is always best.
- Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 days but will become soggy. I suggest serving and enjoying it immediately.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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