Watermelon Salad with Cucumbers and Feta – a refreshing bowl of delicious goodness with a tang from freshly squeezed lemon juice, the savory note of Feta cheese, some heart healthy sweet blueberries and walnuts with of course a whiff of minty freshness in every bite!
SUMMER IN A BOWL don't you feel?
Hot summers warrant sometimes only some freshly made salad which not only satiates and fills you but also tastes amazing and is healthy.
Juicy chunks of crispy yet sweet watermelon, crunch of cucumbers and walnuts, sweet blueberries and a sprinkle of salty Feta will do just that!
If you feel you need some protein in them to make it a complete, nutritious meal, feel free to stir in cooked chickpeas, black eyed peas, rajma/red kidney beans, black beans or even some tofu or paneer chunks.
My personal favorite is chickpeas followed by red kidney beans.
It tastes so good, you will be making it all summer long and is a wonderful dish for a crowd!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE WATERMELON SALAD WITH CUCUMBERS AND FETA:
This is a totally customizable salad but the main ingredients I used are:
- Watermelon – choose ripe ones; deskin, deseed and cut them into bite sized chunks or feel free to use a melon baller to get perfect, but round, pretty balls of juiciness.
- Cucumber – I prefer to use English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers as they are mostly without seeds and there is no need to peel them. If you cannot find these, use the regular long cucumbers, just peel and remove the seeds before cutting them in small slices or chunks.
- Blueberries – this one is optional (if you can find it easily); but living here in the USA, I am fortunate enough to find them all year round. They are not only delicious and perfectly sweet; not to mention its high nutritive value, you can add them whole in any salad for a sweet note in every spoonful. You can substitute them with any fruit you have or like instead too like apples, pineapples, dried raisins, chopped dates etc. and sometimes grapes too.
- Mint leaves – I have a big bush of fresh mint growing in our backyard, so decided to add a few leaves for added freshness and aroma. You can substitute with basil leaves instead too.
- Walnuts – I just love adding walnuts in all my salads for that added texture and being good for you too. You can use any other nuts like pecans, almonds or seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc. instead. If you don’t like nuts in your salad, feel free to omit them altogether.
- Feta Cheese – a shower of crumbled salty feta always adds a lovely savory note to every salad especially in this one with watermelon. The salty feel of feta sort of adds to and balances the sweetness of the watermelon! If vegan, do omit it and substitute with tofu chunks instead although you will not get that salty note that Feta imparts.
- Lemon juice – again, fortunate to have a lemon tree in our backyard, so I try and use them every day in some dish or the other. Salads of course pop up in flavor with a big squeeze of lemon juice.
- Salt to taste – you can use regular sugar, Himalayan Pink salt or even some chaat masala instead too!
HOW TO MAKE WATERMELON SALAD WITH CUCUMBER AND FETA:
Just add all the ingredients to a bowl (except walnuts and Feta), squeeze in some lemon juice and salt.
Toss gently to flavor the whole salad and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle with crumbled Feta and walnuts just before serving; give it a gentle mix and enjoy!
Serve with more Feta cheese and/or walnuts on the side.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
This Mediterranean watermelon salad goes with any meal or is a meal by itself but remember, watermelon and cucumber tend to release their juices over time. So, this salad is best eaten the same day.
Or, mix and then season with lemon juice and salt just before serving.
OTHER OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS YOU CAN ADD INS:
Red Onions – I love adding freshly sliced red onions in most of my salads as it not only adds a crunchy note but gives a lovely oniony punch in every bite!
Dried Fruits like dates, raisins, cranberries etc. are some of my favorite salad add ins too.
Instead of blueberries, you can stir in chunks of apples or pineapples or even mangoes during mango season.
Do try and make this every summer or all year long if you can find watermelon and enjoy with family and friends.
If you do happen to make it, I would love to hear about it. Do feel free to leave a comment below (and leave a rating) if you do happen to make it in the box below. You can share your version on Instagram using the hashtag @curryandvanilla16 or on my Facebook page too so that I can see it.
Enjoy and Happy Eating!
If you are big on salads and cannot resist one, then you must check out these too:
- Easy Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Caprese Salad with Kale and Strawberries
- Broccoli Salad with Dates and Walnuts
- Carrot and Beetroot Salad
Watermelon Salad with Cucumbers and Feta
Ingredients
- 3 cups Red Watermelon deskinned, deseeded and cut into cubes
- 2 English cucumbers sliced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup Mint leaves chopped
- Salt to taste or ½ to 1 tsp Chaat masala powder
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup Feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
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Place the watermelon, cucumber and blueberries in a large bowl.
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Add chopped mint leaves and walnuts.
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Squeeze the lemon juice over the salad.
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Add salt to taste or chaat masala if using; mix to combine all of the ingredients.
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Crumble the feta cheese over the top and serve.
Recipe Notes
This salad is best eaten the same day. If serving later, add salt and lemon juice just before serving.
Instead of mint leaves, you can add basil leaves too or leave it out altogether.
I love to add some sliced red onions sometimes; gives a wonderful crunch and punch to any salad.
Instead of blueberries, feel free to use apple chunks, mango chunks, dried fruits like dates and cherries etc.
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