Few dishes are more refreshing than this Watermelon Salad tossed with salty feta, tender mint, creamy avocado, edamame, and simple lime dressing. It’s made for the hottest summer days!
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Why You’ll Love This Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe
- Sweet and Savory. Pairing watermelon with savory, salty flavors like feta and red onion is a revelation. Think of it as the perfect hybrid between a summery Fruit Salad and a classic dinner salad made with fresh greens.ย
- Effortless Recipe. With a few simple chops and a quick toss (here’s The Best Way to Cut Watermelon), this watermelon salad is a cinch to make. That means time to enjoy the sunshineโand to whip up some summery Peach Margaritas!
- Light and Healthy. Watermelon feta salad is light and healthy, but it also manages to be satisfying so you could totally make a dinner out of itโespecially on those hot, humid summer days when the only appealing foods are fruit, salad, and popsicles.
- The Best Summer Salad. Thanks to its vibrant colors and fresh flavors, this watermelon feta salad is basically summer on a plate!
5 Star Review
โI just made this for lunch and 3 of us gobbled up the whole thing! Great flavors!โ
— Martha —
How to Make Watermelon Salad
The Ingredients
- Watermelon. Look for a watermelon that is round rather than oval, and that has an orange โfield spotโ (i.e., the spot where the melon rested on the ground), a dull sheen, and large webbing.
- Feta. One of the best pairings with watermelon! It adds contrasting creaminess and saltiness to the sweet, juicy watermelon.
- Mint. Adds another layer of refreshing summer flavor and color. Fresh basil also would be lovely in this salad.
- Lime. Gives this watermelon salad some zip and life. I prefer lime to lemon juice, as it’s not quite as acidic.
- Red Onion. Lends the salad a nice edge that I would have missed without it.
- Edamame. Nicely complements the juicy texture of the watermelon and adds protein.
- Avocado. Adds creaminess and makes the salad more filling and satisfying.
The Directions
- Soak the Red Onion. This removes some of its harsh, lingering bite.
- Make Dressing. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Toss. Combine the watermelon, edamame, mint, and drained red onion in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Finish. Add the avocado and feta and gently toss to incorporate. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Watermelon Salad With Cucumber. Not a fan of avocado? Can’t find a decent one at the grocery store? Make this recipe exactly as written, but swap the avocado with diced English cucumber.
- Spicy Watermelon Salad With Mango. Heat things up with thinly sliced jalapeรฑo or serrano peppers and then add just a little more sweetness with diced mango. You can swap the feta for cotija cheese for some Tex-Mex flair.
- Arugula Watermelon Salad. Serve this salad over a bed of baby arugula, which adds a peppery contrast to the sweet melon. Finish with a drizzle of thick, syrupy balsamic vinegar or glaze before serving.
What to Serve with Watermelon Salad
- Grilled Foods. With its summery ingredients, this watermelon feta salad is fabulous with Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Grilled Shrimp.
- Chicken. Round out your dinner with a lean protein like Chicken Kabobs or Smoked Chicken Breast.
- Seafood. Balsamic Glazed Salmon or Grilled Swordfish would pair well with watermelon salad too.
- Burgers. Forget the fries! Serve my Teriyaki Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Shrimp Burgers with watermelon salad as a side dish.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Soak the Red Onion. Doing so cuts the sharp bite of the onion; itโs still pungent and a nice contrast with the sweet watermelon, but itโs not quite as powerful. Another trick is to cut the onion as thin as possible, which also helps it be less assertive. If you have a mandoline slicer, you can practically shave the onion paper thin.
- Cut the Watermelon Bite-Size. Thereโs no need to get out your melon baller for this recipe! Simple 1-inch cubes are just fine hereโbig enough to be juicy and delicious, but small enough that you donโt need to slice them on the plate before eating them.
- Choose Seedless Watermelon. Even if it wasnโt a total pain in the you-know-what to pop the seeds out of the watermelon, doing so can make the melon mushy and full of holesโnot exactly the look you want in your watermelon feta salad! Some say seedless has less flavor, but by the time this salad is dressed up, it has plenty of taste.
- Serve With a Slotted Spoon. Watermelon is 91% water so the salad will likely have some excess liquid at the bottom. I recommend serving it with a slotted spoon to drain some of it off.
- Donโt Assemble Too Far in Advance. If you need to get more of a head start on the recipe, whisk together the dressing, then prep the onion and watermelon and store them separately in the fridge. Drain the watermelon well, then assemble your salad. This allows you to get some of the prep work out of the way without taking away from the freshness of the salad.
Watermelon Salad With Feta
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 โ6 servings
This light, refreshing watermelon salad recipe is tossed with feta, avocado, and edamame in a lime dressing. Perfect for hot summer days!
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Ingredients
- ยฝ red onion thinly sliced
- 4 cups watermelon 1-inch-diced
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- ยฝ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium ripe avocado peeled, pitted and cut into large dice
- ยฝ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Place the red onion in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper.
- To a large serving bowl, add the watermelon, edamame, mint, and drained red onion.
- Pour dressing over the watermelon mixture and toss to coat.
- Add the avocado and feta and gently toss to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The salad will likely have some excess liquid at the bottom from the watermelon, so I recommend serving it with a slotted spoon.
Notes
- TO STORE: This watermelon feta salad is best enjoyed within a few hours after it is dressed and assembled.
- MAKE-AHEAD: Watermelon salad can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Add the avocado and feta just before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 186kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 11mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8g
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Here are more perfectly refreshing, fruit and vegetable-focused summer recipes to enjoy.
I love how refreshing this isโgreat for Summer eating!!
Lovely click Erin, And what I love about this salad is a perfect combination of fruit, veggies, and cheese. I am on a Raw diet so would avoid cheese as of now but rest of it going in my mouth very soon :-)
I hope you enjoy, Kirti!
What a beautiful and colourful salad for this time of the year
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try.
Quick question… Is the edamame frozen, uncooked, cooked? Have only had frozen once.
Hi Janet! I purchase the shelled frozen kind and then thaw it to use in my salad. I hope that helps!
I just made this for lunch and 3 of us gobbled up the whole thing! Great flavors! The little personal watermelons are perfect for this recipe. I did not have a ripe avocado so we had to do without and it was still delicious, possibly because it allowed me to rationalize using more feta cheese! It’s a fast and easy recipe and I will definitely be making it again. Your recipes are SO reliable, Erin!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Martha! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Such an interesting take on a summer classic! I didn’t find any edamame at my local grocery store, but even without it, there was still plenty of flavor and texture going on. I love the tip to soak the red onions- they kept some bite but weren’t overpowering.
Thank you Lisa! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
This is the first time trying this. I didnโt have mint and used mixed salad greens instead and we still really enjoyed although I will make a point to try this with mint very soon. Thank you so much for another totally unexpected combination of ingredients!
Hi Sue! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This will be made over and over in our home! The freshness of the mint and the refreshing, cool watermelon are amazing! We could not get over how mellow the red onion gets from soaking it. Wonderful!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Tricia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I very much want to try this recipe (I froze some ripe watermelon and live in Arizona and want to test this for next summer ;p) *however* my wife has the audacity to be allergic to all citrus. Do you have any recommendations for a replacement?
Hi K A! I actually don’t because I haven’t tried anything else but doing a quick Google search you can use white wine vinegar as a substitute for vinegar and that might work because this is a dressing. If not, maybe just leave it out? If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
What a great way to serve a little taste of summer. I love the sharp contrast of flavors; the saltiness of the feta plays off the watermelon so nicely. I did have to use lemon juice, as I was out of limes. Definitely will make this again.
Thanks Cassie!
It was refreshing with lots of flavor. I was looking for a good Watermelon Feta Salad recipe, and this was by far the best one I found. The flavors melded perfectly and the salad was delicious! The watermelon and the honey and that burst of lime was so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Sharlene!
I am not a watermelon type person but the rest of my family loves watermelon and had some in the fridge. I just tried this and OMG itโs da bomb. The combo of feta cheese, avocado, mint and watermelon on simple dressing just works for some reason.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Alicia!
I made this for the family dinner and everybody liked it and I would make it again.
I bought a small round watermelon and it still gave me significantly more watermelon than the recipe called for, which was a problem for me as it isn’t a fruit that is diabetic friendly. Sent the remaining fruit home with others.
I forgot to soak the red pepper and instead added it unsoaked to the dressing that I made ahead. I’d do it that way again.
Glad to hear, thank you Pat!
The combination of watermelon, lime juice and mint is so tasty. Definitely a go to summer recipe, so light and refreshing
Great to hear! Thank you!
Love this salad. Perfect every time. Easy to make. Love all the flavours!
Thank you for sharing your recipes
So glad you enjoyed it, Coleen! Thank you!
My husband and I both LOVED this salad! We pretty much made a light meal out of it, with a piece of hearty bread on the side. Since we live in Phoenix where temps right now are 110+, dishes like this are the best — light, cool, and refreshing! I didn’t have any jalapeรฑos on hand, but next time will add them, as suggested in your variations. I’m sure it will take this to next level. Mango sounds amazing too.
Thanks so much Sandy! It is so refreshing for hot days!
So good!!! Made this for a 4th of July picnic and everyone loved it!!! Perfect blend of sweet and salty, will definitely be making this again.
Yay! Thank you MRyan!
I made this for my fireworks party and it was a big hit. The freshness of the watermelon, the creamy avocado, the salty feta — a great mix of flavors and textures. I bought a yellow and red watermelon for more color but the watermelon was mislabeled so it was all yellow.
Ohhh now I need to find a yellow watermelon! Thanks Jasmine!
Really refreshing and light! Nice for summer and a different take on using watermelon.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Emily! Thank you!
This was my first time trying a watermelon salad and I canโt say Iโm sold on the concept. It was refreshing, but I didnโt love the flavor combinations.
I made this for 6 friends on our trip to Algonquin park. They loved it so much they asked for the recipe. I love it so much I’ll be making it all summer.
Yay! Thank you Louise!
This delicious and fun salad is a welcome alternative to the many summer salads that feature pasta and potatoes. Such a great recipe and so easy to prep. Thank you for sharing this recipe Erinโwe really enjoyed it!
Glad to hear, thank you Marcy!
This salad was pretty and delicious. We were on vacation when the recipe came so I decided to make it because I had all the ingredients. I served it with small roasted potatoes, grilled tuna, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Only thing I might change is substituting shallots for red onion as they are milder. Great recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Nancy! Thank you!
We loved this salad, so nice and refreshing, I am not a fan of avocados so I added the cucumber instead, tasted great. We enjoyed the feta cheese, was a nice combination of flavors. I never thought of soaking red onions before what a difference it made.
Great to hear, thank you Carol!
A healthy, summery salad that is the perfect side dish or lunch! I used Vidalia onion instead of red, as that’s what I had. Love the addition of feta and mint! Delicious!
Thank you Laurie!
Delicious and refreshing, a really balanced mix of flavors. I couldnโt find fresh edamame so I used frozen, and was wondering if frozen edamame should be cooked before adding to the salad, or just thawed maybe? I steamed it then cooled, and it worked well, but maybe was a little soft. Anyway – yummy recipe!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Hilary! For the frozen edamame I’d follow what the package says about defrosting, etc. Thanks!
I love everything about this salad! It is a perfect summer salad and the addition of the edamame is great! This will be on repeat in my house!
Thank you Adrienne!
Feast for the eyes ๐ beautiful and delicious salad. Sweet from the honey salty from the feta, tangy from the ๐โ๐ฉ limes, creamy from the avocado ๐ฅ and refreshing altogether with the other ingredients watermelon ๐ edamame, onions, mint etc. A perfect summer salad.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Agnes! Thanks for sharing!
I love this refreshing salad! Also I often have extra watermelon so this helps put it to good use.
Kathy Kehr
Thank you Kathy!
Made this for the 4th of July and it was a hit. I swapped the edamame for blueberries and it was delicious! Thank Erin for always making fresh easy and delicious ideas for us.
Thank you Kristin!
A unique spin on one of my favorite summer salads. Cool, fresh, and light. Next time I’m going to make the dressing with hot honey!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, looks great! Love the sound of hot honey!