A Refreshing Side Dish
This simple watermelon salad has become a staple in our house over the last couple years. It makes for a tasty, light lunch or adds a fresh side salad to a summer barbecue. It’s a little sweet from the watermelon, but salty from the feta and olives. The combination of produce is incredibly refreshing and screams Summer-time.
When the height of summer hits and all you’re craving is cool, refreshing foods, come to this salad. It’s cool and crunchy and incorporate so many fresh fruits and vegetable that are at their peak. Sweet summer watermelon, plump tomatoes, and crisp cucumber, build the base for a hydrating salad. It pairs great with grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, on the side of a green salad, or all on it’s own.
The number one tip I’ve learned in my practice with making this salad is to build the salad in a colander set inside of a bowl. When you’re ready to serve, drain the extra liquid caught in the bowl and then serve. With all of these juicy fruits and vegetables, this salad can let off a lot of moisture. While it proves the freshness of the dish, it’s not the most pleasant to eat!
The Supplies
Ingredients
To make this simple watermelon salad recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Seedless watermelon
- Cucumber
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Kalamata olives
- Feta cheese
- Fresh basil
- Balsamic vinegar
- High quality olive oil
- Flaky salt
- Black pepper
For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Equipment
In order to make this simple watermelon salad, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:
- Large colander
- Large mixing bowl
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
Frequent Recipe Questions
Can I substitute the fresh basil?
- A: Absolutely! You can substitute the fresh basil with any other fresh, tender herb. Dill, chive, mint, or parsley would be great options. I would not recommend using dried herbs, as it will not have the same, fresh taste.
What kind of olive oil should I use?
- A: A high quality olive oil meant for dipping or finishing a dish will be best, as the taste will be brighter and most suitable to eat without cooking it. I love the Drizzle oil from Graza for salad dressings (use the link for $5 off your first order)!
The Recipe Details
Prep the Salad
This salad has three of my favorite Summer fruits and vegetables: tomatoes, watermelon, and cucumber. Plus adding cheese and olives to make it a little salty? *chef’s kiss* The dressing on this salad is purposely really simple, just olive oil and balasmic vinegar. While these produce are in season, I want to make sure I’m really tasting the fruits and vegetables themselves. The salad is enhanced with a little salt and basil to round out the flavors.
To start the recipe, first add the cubed watermelon, sliced cucumber, and halved tomatoes into a colander placed inside of a bowl. This will help catch any excess liquid that comes out of the produce as we mix everything together, so you don’t end up with a soggy salad. Next, sprinkle in the kalamata olives. Give the salad a quick stir to combine everything together.
Dress the Salad
When you’re ready to serve this salad, remove the colander from the bowl and discard any liquid. Transfer the salad into the bowl and add the feta cheese and fresh basil. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and a high quality olive oil over the top of the salad. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt and a crack of freshly ground black pepper and give it one final mix to coat everything in the dressing. Serve the salad right away with extra basil on top and enjoy! This salad would be delicious with a large glass of Sparkling Lavender and Mint Lemonade or a refreshing Aperol Spritz.
In this version of the recipe, I only added fresh basil, but mint, chive, or dill would also be great mixed in. Essentially, whatever fresh, tender herbs you have throw them in – I don’t think you can go wrong! I think it’s fun to mix and match and find a combination of herbs you love.
Let me know if you give this recipe a try and tag me in your photos! I hope this gives you all the warm-weather summer vibes you need.
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Simple Watermelon Salad
Description
A simple watermelon salad with fresh fruits and vegetables, perfect for your summer picnic or a simple dinner at home.
Ingredients
Instructions
To make this simple watermelon salad
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Place a colander inside a large bowl, chop the watermelon, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and olives and place the produce in the colander while you chop the rest. Since these are water-heavy fruits and vegetables, they’ll let off a lot of moisture quickly.
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Once everything is chopped, give it a quick stir inside the colander, dump any excess moisture caught in the bowl, and transfer everything from the colander to the bowl.
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Mix in olive olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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Add the crumbled feta and chopped basil right before serving and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Divide into bowls with any extra feta and basil on top.
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Serve with a side of roasted chickpeas to make a full meal of it, a green salad, or as a refreshing side to your next barbecue.
