Our favorite Watermelon Salad with cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, onion, pistachios, and crumbled feta cheese (optional). Inspired by Moroccan flavors, this salad is refreshing and flavorful!
One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach—waiting for a gift from the sea.- Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
This Watermelon Salad is the best! It is incredibly refreshing and flavorful and easy to make. It’s made with cold crisp watermelon and cucumber with thinly sliced red onion, parsley, mint, optional pistachios, and optional feta cheese, tossed in a light red wine vinaigrette.
WhY You’ll love this Watermelon salad!
The addition of cucumber, fresh parsley and fresh mint just brings it up a notch. Add feta cheese or keep it vegan. For extra crunch add pistachios, or feel free to leave them out. There is a hint of spice here- clove! Just a pinch… so good!
Watermelon Salad Ingredeints
- Watermelon- ripe, but not overly!
- Cucumber-thinned skinned are best like English, Turkish or Persian.
- Red Onion- for a little bite.
- Fresh herbs- flat leaf parsley and mint.
- Vinegar- red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or white balsmic.
- Olive oil– extra virgin all the way.
- Optional additions- feta cheese ( sheep’s milk if possible) and toasted pistachio nuts.
How to make Watermelon Salad
- Place watermelon, cucumber and onion in a large bowl.
- Add herbs, optional feta and pistachios.
- Gently mix.
- Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix to incorporate.
- Taste and adjust salt… you made need more if not adding feta.
- Refrigerate until very cold, and enjoy.
Can watermelon Salad be made ahead?
Yes. Cut and prep the ingredients, placing the chopped herbs on top. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 8 hours. Right before serving, add the dressing ingredients and toss just to combine, add fet and pistachios if you like!
And though this Watermelon Salad is best served the day it is made, it does seem to keep pretty well for a couple of days, so be sure to save the leftovers.
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On the homefront: How quickly summer is going! The temperatures are soaring here well into the 100s again.
Once, when I was young, on a sweltering summer night in Los Angeles, my frugal dad sliced open an enormous watermelon right down the middle and handed me half, along with a spoon and declared it dinner. My mother was in Finland visiting “her people” for what seemed like an eternity, and things got a bit lax.
So there we sat outside on the patio, under a canopy of grapevines, each with our giant half watermelon eating it right out of the rind, melting from the heat and missing my mom. The sun eventually sunk into the hills, and our bellies were full. The cold, crisp watermelon felt like an oasis in the desert- so soothing. To this day, I can not look at a watermelon without remembering that night.
xoxo
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Watermelon Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our favorite Watermelon Salad with cucumber, parsley, mint, onion, and optional feta cheese. Easy, refreshing, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 4–5 cups watermelon cut into 3/4-1 inch cubes
- 4 Turkish cucumbers (or one English) cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1/4–1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup red wine or white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
- cracked pepper
- a pinch ground clove (or allspice, both optional)
Instructions
- Place watermelon, cucumber and onion in a large bowl. Add herbs, optional feta and pistachios.
- Gently mix.
- Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix to incorporate.
- Taste and adjust salt… you made need more if not adding feta.
Notes
If making ahead, save the pistachios and some of the fresh herbs to add right before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 237 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 8.3 mg
I don’t have white balsamic nor red wine vinegar, but I DO have red balsamic and white wine vinegar.
I did a test salad, and used the balsamic and it was very bitter. Any other ideas for the dressing?
Otherwise, I love the idea of this and have cut everything up for a dinner party tomorrow. Just need a solid dressing.
Thanks!
How about the white wine vinegar, with a tiny splash of balsamic? And maybe use a bit less? As long as it is not straight white vinegar, I bet this would work.
I love this salad!!
Oh good! We love it too!
I’ve made this for our meal on hot summer nights. We love it! It’s so refreshing!
So glad you enjoyed Sue!
making for lunch–love watermelon & cucumbers. Have you considered sprinkling lightly with za’atar?
Sounds tasty to me! Give it a go!
Fantastic summery salad that comes together very quick! Didn’t have pistachios on hand but had some left over apple brushed BBQ smoked chicken from a grill earlier in the week and it was absolutely divine! Will defo make again on hotter days.
Wow sounds great Anouk!
First time making this salad and it is instantly my new favorite summer recipe! I’m not a fan of pistachios so I left those out. Taking it for lunch all week!
Oh good! Its refreshing!
Great flavors for summer BBQ. To take it to the next level, before cubing the melon, I brushed slices with olive oil and quick grilled, high heat, to get char marks and smoky flavor.
That sounds amazing Joseph!
Simply delicious summer bowl of freshness :o)
Thank you!!!
thanks so much!
Made this salad for my family. Everyone loved it! This is a Keeper!
Great to hear Karen!
Refreshing and delicious! Keeping this salad for family fun meals! Thank you for sharing!
thanks Jessica!
Best salad EVER! Refreshing, layers of flavor, perfect for summer. Thanks!
Awwww, thanks so much Pat! Miss your lovely face! ❤️
I’m allergic to onions – can you recommend a good substitute?
I think it would be fine to leave them out here!
what can i sub for ground cloves?
You could try allspice or cinnamon, or just leave it out. 🙂
This is my favorite go-to watermelon salad. Our neighbors expect it at every block party!
Helpful tip: put your cut watermelon in a strainer while making the recipe. It helps cut down the watery-ness.
Thanks Brittany!
Wow, what a great recipe! Clean, refreshing and the combination of flavors is wonderful. A favorite salad for those who live in warm climates.
Oh awesome- glad you liked it Pam!
A perfect summer salad that is refreshing and unique. I doubled the recipe for a summer grill out and it was a hit with everyone. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hi Sylvia, Kevin & I loved this salad. He called it a fun salad. Soooo delicious.
Hey Tracey! thanks so much, glad to hear you both liked it and it was so good to catch up with you at the Murdoch’s! xoxo
I didn’t have pistachios on hand, so in case anyone was wondering, this is delicious with toasted pine nuts as well 🙂
funny, i was thinking about this too
Thanks for the recipe. Tasted sooo good and refreshin! I omiited the feta and onions. Added lil less mint and some extra clove. Everyone loved it!!
So glad you enjoyed it!!!
Can’t wait to try this watermelon salad. I will also marinate the onions, but in lemon juice. Love your salads! I’m
Planning a baby shower and want to serve only finger foods. Any ideas?
Most of Sylvia’s delicious salads can be served in little gem lettuce leaves as individual portions.
It was a happy day when I found your website. I have cooked and loved so many of your recipes.
This one is another delicious keeper! Thank you!
Sonja
Hi Sonja, Thank YOU for being a regular to the site…and for the feedback, it means a lot!!
Just in time for National Watermelon Day! This recipe looks delicious for summer. I can’t wait to try it at my next gathering. Your recipes are always a big hit!
Oh… thank you Karolina, appreciate it!!!
Just made it for tonights super. Very delicious – the adding of pistachios was new to me, but a keeper! As I have stomach trouble with raw onion, I marinated it in the vinager with a pinch of seasalt while chopping the rest of the salad – and put all of it with the evoo, S&P in the salad.
Thanks a lot for the recipe and try to keep it cool 😉 !
Great idea to marinate the onion! Glad you liked it Emma!
I love pistachio and I love watermelon, but I never thought of putting the two together before. The salad looks so refreshing and delicious!
Thanks Mary Frances! It is a refreshing salad for sure. Hope you enjoy…
I just love your salad recipes, this one is a winner with me again. 🙂
Thanks Adina…appreciate it! Have a great week!