Is there anything more refreshing than a watermelon salad? This one features salty feta, cucumber, fresh basil, and lemon zest.
This post was created in partnership with ALDI. All opinions are our own.
Alex, Larson and I could not be more excited to embrace outdoor living this year! Last summer we traveled a lot (our cookbook tour and a Europe vacation), which while incredible made the summer feel a little hurried. This year, we’re all about digging into our space: growing a garden, fixing up our patio, and eating all our meals outside! This watermelon salad is perfect for embracing outdoor living: it’s easy to make and goes with just about anything you want to throw on the grill. We stocked up on all the ingredients from ALDI: which as you know by now, it our go-to for every season! All the ingredients arrived via Instacart to our doorstep, which is the ultimate in convenience. Keep reading for the watermelon salad recipe — complete with a wine pairing!
COUPON & SHOPPING LIST! ALDI now delivers groceries to your door using Instacart: and we have a custom ingredient list for this recipe. You can order all the ingredients for this recipe by clicking here! Then use the code ALDIACC for $10 off your first three ALDI orders on Instacart of $35 or more.
How to make watermelon salad
This watermelon salad recipe is truly easy: it’s just matter of chopping a few ingredients and throwing them together on a platter. It’s a fantastic accessory for summer cookouts and potlucks. But because it’s so simple, the quality of the ingredients is key. You’ve got to have a super ripe watermelon and high quality feta cheese to make this one taste like 1 million bucks.
How to tell if a watermelon is ripe?
If you’re at the store picking out your own watermelon, here are a few tips for picking out a ripe watermelon. There’s really nothing worse than an unripe watermelon: it’s not sweet at all (we know from experience)! To make sure you get ruby red, sweet flesh inside, look for a lighter spot where the watermelon rested in the field: it’s called a field spot. If the field spot is white, it’s unripe: if the spot is yellow, it’s ripe. Also, the watermelon should feel very heavy, which means there’s a lot of juice inside.
What if you’re shopping using Instacart? Simply ask your shopper to pick a watermelon with a yellow field spot!
Customize your toppings!
For the topping of this watermelon salad, we’ve called for chopped basil, lemon zest, and some sea salt. But you can get as creative as you’d like! Use a different herb like mint or oregano. You can even top with fresh ground pepper, or add a drizzle of olive oil. If you’d like it tangier, add lemon juice — or go with lime instead! There are so many variations to the watermelon salad: let us know in the comments what you’d try?
Suggested wine pairing: rosé!
Of course, what’s better for outdoor living than sipping a glass of rosé? For this outdoor meal with our watermelon salad, we served it with the La Rue Côtes de Provence Rosé from ALDI. It’s dry and full bodied, with hints of strawberry. Right now it’s $7.49 at ALDI: a total steal!
How to serve this watermelon salad
This watermelon salad literally goes with just about anything that hits your outdoor table! We developed this recipe especially for Memorial Day. Here’s what we served it with:
- Favorite Potato Salad
- Grilled mushrooms and peppers
- Berries: strawberries and blackberries
- Strawberry rhubarb crisp
- La Rue Côtes de Provence Rosé
Here a few more ideas on how to serve this watermelon salad with feta and cucumber:
- Grilled Vegetable Pasta
- Grilled Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Veggie Fajitas
- Pesto Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Greek Grilled Portobello Burger
- Easy Bean Salad
- Caribbean Black Bean Salad
- French Potato Salad
- Cucumber Salad with Vinegar
This watermelon salad recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free.
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Watermelon Salad with Feta & Cucumber
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 0 minutes
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Total Time: 10 minutes
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Yield: 6
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Is there anything more refreshing than a watermelon salad? This one features salty feta, cucumber, fresh basil, and lemon zest.
Ingredients
NEW! Order all the ingredients below in one click!
- 8 cups cubed ripe seedless watermelon (1 8-pound watermelon)
- 2 organic mini cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber (1 cup sliced)
- 2 ounces Happy Farms Preferred Original Feta
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 4 basil leaves
- Sea salt, for garnish
- Suggested pairing: La Rue Côtes de Provence Rosé (available at ALDI)
Instructions
- Chop the watermelon into cubes. Slice the cucumbers (if using an English cucumber, slice it into half moons). Chop the basil.
- Arrange the watermelon and cucumbers on a platter. Sprinkle with feta crumbles, lemon zest, and sea salt. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. (If you’d like, you can add freshly ground black pepper or a drizzle of olive oil.) Serve immediately. If making ahead, refrigerate the cubed watermelon separately: it releases a lot of water after it is cut. Then assemble the salad directly before serving.
Category: Salad
Method: Raw
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Watermelon Salad, Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad, Watermelon Feta Salad, Watermelon Cucumber Salad
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