• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Crowded Kitchen
MENUMENU
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Sign Up
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
×

Home » Recipes » Salads

Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Strawberries and Feta

Published: May 29, 2021 by Lexi

1.2K shares
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Watermelon + cucumber make for the most refreshing possible summer salad. Paired with sweet, juicy strawberries, tangy, salty feta and herbaceous mint, nothing beats this watermelon cucumber salad on a hot day. Plus, it's super quick and easy to make and perfect for any dietary restrictions!

close up overhead view of watermelon cucumber strawberry salad on a plate with mint and feta.
Jump to:
  • 🥗 Why We Love This Recipe
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 📋 Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪 Step-by-step instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

🥗 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Savory and sweet: this salad has a little bit of everything. It's perfectly balanced, making it the ideal summer side dish or appetizer. (Or honestly even dessert!)
  • Super refreshing: this is my favorite post-run snack on a super hot summer day!
  • Quick and easy: this watermelon cucumber salad is ready in 20 minutes (or less, depending on your knife skills) and it only requires a few simple ingredients.
  • A serious crowd-pleaser! This watermelon cucumber salad is always the first salad to be devoured at any summer gathering. Almost everyone goes back for seconds – it's that good! Plus, our version is vegan, so it's suitable for just about any dietary restrictions.

🥘 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this watermelon cucumber salad:

overhead view of ingredients for watermelon cucumber strawberry salad in prep bowls.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Cucumber: we don't typically peel our cucumbers for this salad, but feel free to if you prefer.
  • Vegan feta: we used a vegan feta-style cheese in this salad from VioLife Foods. It's honestly really good. The texture is quite a bit softer than regular feta, and it's not quite as satisfyingly salty, but it's a great alternative. If you're not dairy free or vegan, feel free to substitute with regular feta.
  • Mint: fresh mint really takes this watermelon cucumber salad to the next level, so don't skip it! It's also fantastic with basil.
  • Lime juice: be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice in the dressing, NOT the stuff from a bottle (which definitely doesn't taste nearly as fresh!). This recipe also calls for lime zest for extra flavor, so grab a few limes to be safe. (Use leftovers to pair this salad with homemade margaritas!)

🔪 Step-by-step instructions

This watermelon cucumber salad comes together in just a few simple steps, but first let's cover how to quickly and easily dice watermelon into perfect cubes!

How to dice watermelon into cubes

(1) Wash and dry the watermelon, then slice in half widthwise.

(2 & 3) Set on a cutting board flat side down. Slice the entire watermelon into strips about 1" wide.

(4) Rotate and slice the other way so you end up with 1" cubes.

person slicing halved watermelon into cubes lengthwise and widthwise.

(5 & 6) Remove each piece of watermelon and slice into cubes. Discard the rind.

slicing watermelon into cubes.

Make the salad

(1 & 2) In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients for dressing, including 1 ½ tablespoon agave, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest, ½ tablespoon mint and a pinch of salt.

before and after whisking together ingredients for lime mint dressing.

(3) Add diced cucumber, sliced strawberries and cubed watermelon to a large mixing bowl.

(4) Pour dressing over fruit and toss gently to coat. Top with feta and more fresh mint just before serving.

before and after mixing together ingredients for watermelon cucumber salad.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • For best results, we suggest chilling this watermelon cucumber salad for an hour before serving. This lets the dressing really soak in for maximum flavor, plus it chills the fruit so it's extra refreshing!
  • That being said, don't let this salad sit for too long before serving. After a few hours, the watermelon starts to release a lot of moisture, so it gets pretty watery and soggy. We suggest serving within 3 hours of making.
  • Wait to add the feta and fresh mint until just before serving to keep it extra fresh.
  • Substitutions/additions: feel free to add in another summer fruit of your choice, like fresh peaches or nectarines, raspberries, blackberries, etc. This salad would also be great with another type of melon, like cantaloupe.
How do you tell if a watermelon is perfectly ripe?

Here are a few of our best tips for picking a juicy, ripe watermelon every time:
-It may seem counterintuitive, but look for a watermelon with a large yellow patch. This means it has been resting on the ground and is more ripe. The darker yellow the patch, the longer it was on the vine. Avoid fully green watermelons - though they look pretty, they're typically not ripe enough.

-Tap/knock on the bottom of the watermelon. A ripe watermelon will have a satisfyingly deep, hollow sound.

-Pick a heavy watermelon for its size. A heavier watermelon means there's more water, which means a juicier, more flavorful watermelon.

close up view of watermelon cucumber strawberry salad on a plate with mint and feta.

🍽 Related Recipes

  • close up overhead view of melon ball salad with strawberries and mint in white bowl.
    Melon Salad with Strawberries and Mint
  • overhead view of kale and stone fruit salad with quinoa and feta on white plate
    Stone Fruit Salad
  • Blackberry, Avocado and Arugula Salad

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

Print

📖 Recipe

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
close up overhead view of watermelon cucumber strawberry salad on a plate with mint and feta.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Strawberries and Feta


  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Watermelon + cucumber make for the most refreshing possible summer salad. Paired with sweet, juicy strawberries, tangy, salty feta and herbaceous mint, nothing beats this watermelon cucumber salad on a hot day.


Ingredients

Scale

Salad:

  • 2 cups diced cucumber
  • 1 ½ cup strawberries, sliced into rounds
  • 2 cups cubed watermelon
  • ½ cup crumbled feta (vegan or regular)
  • Fresh mint

Dressing:

  • 1 ½ tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • ½ tbsp finely chopped mint
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare cucumbers, strawberries and watermelon. Add to a large mixing bowl. 
  2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together all ingredients for dressing. 
  3. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss gently to coat. 
  4. Optional: chill for one hour before serving. Top with feta and more fresh mint before serving. 

Notes

For best results, we suggest chilling this watermelon cucumber salad for an hour before serving. This lets the dressing really soak in for maximum flavor, plus it chills the fruit so it's extra refreshing! 

That being said, don't let this salad sit for too long before serving. After a few hours, the watermelon starts to release a lot of moisture, so it gets pretty watery and soggy. We suggest serving within 3 hours of making. 

Wait to add the feta and fresh mint until just before serving to keep it extra fresh.

This salad is also great with basil instead of mint. 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No cook
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Bowl
  • Calories: 139
  • Sugar: 15.6 g
  • Sodium: 249.2 mg
  • Fat: 4.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 24.2 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 4.1 g

Keywords: watermelon cucumber salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

More Salad Recipes

  • Finished sumac dressing in a glass bottle.
    Sumac Dressing
  • Overhead of the finished spinach chickpea salad in a white bowl.
    Spinach Chickpea Salad
  • Close up of the finished pumpkin quinoa salad in a blue bowl.
    Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
  • Close up of finished pomegranate couscous salad in a bowl.
    Pomegranate Couscous Salad

Reader Interactions

Let us know what you think! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

More about us →

Featured in:

Featured in Buzzfeed, yahoo, Men's Journal, Huffpost, MSN, Food & Wine, Country Living, yummly, and Parade.

Spring recipes

  • The Ultimate Bloody Mary Bar
  • Super Green Vegetable Soup
  • Vegan Pasta Bake
  • Overhead view of spaghetti squash soup in a bowl.
    Spaghetti Squash Soup
  • overhead view of vegan mediterranean sheet pan dinner with tofu, chickpeas, vegetables and tahini yogurt drizzle.
    Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner
  • overhead view of vegan creamy beet pasta in large pot.
    Creamy Beet Pasta

Most popular recipes

  • How to make Infused Liquors (5 Ways)
  • close up overhead view of vegan bean soup in a bowl on white linen surface.
    Three-Bean Vegetable Soup
  • close up view of a passion fruit martini in a glass with dark backdrop.
    Passion Fruit Martini
  • overhead view of vegan mac and cheese in pot
    The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
  • Two tequila mule cocktails in copper mugs with lime and mint garnish on antique blue table.
    Tequila Mule
  • side view of limoncello spritz cocktail garnished with fresh mint.
    Limoncello Spritz

See more-->

Footer

Back to top ↑

About

  • Learn About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • See our Portfolio

Newsletter

  • Sign up for weekly emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
  • As Seen In

Copyright © 2022 Crowded Kitchen