Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
Watermelon feta salad is my husband’s love language. ♡
We’ve made countless versions of this salad over the years, including many during our season living in Barcelona, where I still have the fondest memories of Barclay lugging massive watermelons through the city because he refused to settle for small salads. (The man is dedicated, haha.) And while I know there’s no shortage of watermelon feta salad recipes on the internet, I wanted to finally document the version that has become our family’s personal favorite.
The ingredients here are simple, but each one really counts: sweet, juicy watermelon (the really ripe stuff, please — no pale, flavorless cubes), creamy tangy feta (I highly recommend buying the block instead of pre-crumbled), a generous mix of both fresh basil and mint, a little pop of lime juice and zest, and a finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt for flavor and crunch. That’s it!
Every bite is the best balance of sweet, salty, tangy, juicy, herby, crunchy freshness. And on a hot summer day, we’re convinced there’s nothing better. So grab the ripest watermelon you can find and let’s make a big, beautiful bowl of salad.
Variations You Can Try
This salad is easy to customize if you’d like to play around with different flavors or add a little extra texture.
- Add cucumber for extra crunch and freshness.
- Add avocado for a creamy, buttery twist.
- Add arugula if you’d like to turn this into more of a leafy green salad with a peppery bite. (Or see this recipe for my favorite watermelon arugula salad!)
- Add red onion for a little sharpness. Thinly sliced or pickled red onion both work beautifully.
- Add pistachios or almonds for crunch and a salty, nutty finish.
- Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze if you love a sweeter, tangier finish with watermelon and feta.
- Make it spicy with paper-thin slices of fresh jalapeño or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Swap the lime for lemon if that’s what you have on hand. The flavor will be slightly different, but still lovely.
- Swap the feta for goat cheese if you want something extra creamy and tangy.
FAQ
You can prep the ingredients ahead of time, but I recommend waiting to toss everything together until just before serving. Watermelon releases a lot of juice once it’s salted, so the salad is best served fresh.
No prob, it totally works! I just prefer using feta from a block (if available) because it tends to be creamier and more flavorful.
Nope! This version keeps things extra light with just lime juice and zest. The watermelon is already so juicy that I don’t think it needs oil, but you can absolutely add a small drizzle if you’d like.
More Watermelon Recipes To Try
Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chopped seedless watermelon
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Toss. Add the watermelon, feta, basil, and mint to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle the lime zest over the salad, then drizzle with the lime juice. Gently toss until evenly combined.
- Season. Taste and season with flaky sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper as needed.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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