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Easy Watermelon Feta and Cucumber Salad

July 21, 2021 by Joy the Baker 8 Comments

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Easy watermelon salad tossed on an oval platter.

It’s so hot all I can eat these days is watermelon salad.

Well… watermelon and anything smoothie like, and whatever leftovers I have cold from the fridge… but mostly just watermelon salad.

I’ve done most of my watermelon eating this summer in the car between New Orleans and Houston.  A little summer road trip always calls for a passenger seat full of snacks, including, but not limited, to a giant container of cold cubbed watermelon.  Only once did that container fly to the passenger seat floor when I had to unexpectedly hit the brakes. It was less than fun to clean up but I remain undeterred.

When I have the time and kitchen, this salad is my preferred way to watermelon.  It’s sweet and juicy (as watermelon go), but also salty, acidic, and crunchy.  It’s just about every satisfying texture in one very might and bright salad.  This is the sort of fruit meets savory salad that comfortable makes its home at any picnic or summer pizza night or straight from the fridge on a blistering day.  Now, let’s!

Ingredients for an easy watermelon feta and cucumber salad

Here’s what you need to make this easy summer watermelon salad:

•  a watermelon – I like the 5 pound seedless variety.

•  an English cucumber, skin on and sliced thin

•  salt, sugar, and rice wine vinegar to quick pickle the cucumbers.

•  feta cheese though goat cheese is a good substitute if feta feels too salty for you.

•  roasted and salted pistachios for crunch and fresh chives and mint for brightness.

•  olive oil and red wine vinegar to bring all of the ingredients together.

•  sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper for extra credit.

A bowl of thinly sliced cucumbers with salt and vinegar

Before I cube the watermelon, I like to quick pickle the cucumbers.

This will give them a shock of acid, salty, sweet flavor to the otherwise bland cucumbers.  They don’t need a long soak – just as long as it takes to cut up the melon.

Cubed cucumber in a bowl for easy watermelon salad

I pick a watermelon by looking for the heaviest melon with a yellow sun spot.  That’s how you know the watermelon has really been baking in the sun to summer sweetness.

Cut the watermelon into small, bite-sized cubes.

Cucumber sliced and watermelon in a large salad bowl
All ingredients for an easy watermelon salad in a large bowl.


It’s all downhill from here.

Add the quick picked cucumber (discarding any liquid in the bowl).

Add the crumbled feta, fresh herbs, and chopped pistachios.  Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar and gently toss it all together.

I’ve used my clean hands to toss the salad together just to keep the watermelon from breaking down.

Watermelon salad with cucumber and feta arranged on a platter.

Scoop it all onto a platter and chill before serving.  This salad is best served cold because literally no one wants warm watermelon.

I topped mine with extra feta and pistachios and a few good pinches of salt and pepper.

Bring this as your impressive picnic offering (along with a bag of pita chips because they’re delicious together), or simply post up on the couch for a light and satisfying summer dinner.

This is how we watermelon, friends. Happy summer!

Oh!  See also: Watermelon Strawberry Citrus Sangria

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All ingredients for an easy watermelon salad in a large bowl.

Easy Watermelon Feta and Cucumber Salad

★★★★★ 4.8 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
  • Category: Salad
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Description

A light and bright summer watermelon salad with feta, quick picked cucumber slices, and chopped pistachios. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 heaping cups bite-sized watermelon chunks
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese, plus more for topping
  • 1/2 cup shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus more for topping
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • 3 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Flakey sea salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place sliced cucumber in a small bowl. Top with vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and sugar and toss to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes while the rest of the salad is assembled.
  2. In a large bowl combine watermelon, feta, pistachios, chives, mint, and a good splash of olive oil and vinegar. Toss in marinated cucumbers, discarding the vinegar mixture left behind. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and top with more feta and pistachios. Sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving. Chill until ready to serve.

Keywords: salad, summer, watermelon, feta, pistachios, joy the baker, summer salad, watermelon salad,

Did you make this recipe?

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Photos with my friend Jon Melendez.

 

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Filed Under: Dinner, Fruit, Gluten-Free, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

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Questions
  1. Jessica

    September 16, 2022 at 11:17 pm

    I would be interested in knowing the quantities you used for the red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper

    Reply
  2. Novel Best

    August 22, 2021 at 10:39 pm

    A nice idea to mix watermelon and cucumber, very healthy food

    Reply
  3. Kori

    August 3, 2021 at 2:28 pm

    Oh my goodness my daughter LOVES cucumber, watermelon AND feta. This is a perfect lunch for her to take to school till fall! ?

    Reply
  4. Debra Price

    July 30, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    I would be interested in knowing the quantities you used for the red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper

    ★★★★

    Reply
  5. Amy

    July 25, 2021 at 6:42 am

    This is a perfect balance of flavor and textures! The pistachio is a stroke of genius—that crunch? *chef’s kiss* Instead of a few dashes of red wine vinegar at the end, I was lazy and used some of the quick-pickled cucumber juice to add some acid. I can’t stop taking spoonfuls of this out of the fridge. Thanks, Joy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Judy Pasqualone

      May 29, 2022 at 6:44 am

      I think I’d like to try toasted pine nuts instead of pistachios.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  6. Chinese Food

    July 22, 2021 at 5:08 am

    A healthy and delicious food, I love cucumber, will make it tonight

    Reply
  7. Sabrina

    July 21, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    lovely and yes light and perfect for summer, as anything with watermelon usually is, thank you

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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