Watermelon and Feta Salad is one of those recipes that is perfect on a hot summer night and you are looking for a side dish recipe that is easy to make but packed with flavor. This watermelon salad recipe gets a beautiful sweetness from the balsamic syrup drizzled over the top, a salty bite from the feta cheese, and the needed freshness from the fresh basil or mint. Don’t skip the second step of this recipe or you will end up with watermelon soup instead of watermelon feta salad 🙂

My initial desire was to make a watermelon and arugula salad when I began this recipe, but out of the three grocery stores in my small town, not one of them carried arugula 🙁 I was tempted to buy the mixed greens and pick out all the pieces of arugula but girl, who has time for THAT?? Now I know that next summer I need to add a section of arugula to my garden next to my spinach and spring mix lettuce.

After my failure to procure the arugula, I was tempted to give up on my quest for the perfect watermelon salad recipe but decided to move forward with the same recipe creation minus the greens. The result was really yummy and surprisingly simple to make.

For me, the two ingredients that take this watermelon salad recipe over the top are the feta cheese because of the saltiness it adds, and the balsamic drizzle which enhances the natural sweetness of the melon. In fact, the watermelon I purchased at the store was quite bland so I was worried that my salad wouldn’t turn out well but now I know what to make next time I do a lousy job picking a melon. It was fabulous!

You don’t have to use a melon baller if you don’t want. You can always just cube it up or I was tempted to make small matchsticks as well. Whatever floats your boat 🙂 The other option I have for the watermelon and feta salad is what type of herb you want to use. I tried both fresh basil and mint, and for me the basil was better. I often find mint to be overwhelming. You could also try a combination of both!

Looking for another great salad recipe? You’ll love my Avocado and Feta BLT Salad so jump on over to print that one out too!

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

Author: Carole Jones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Description

My favorite watermelon salad recipe. I love the sweet balsamic drizzle, the salty feta cheese, and the fresh herbs.

Scale

Ingredients

2/3 C balsamic vinegar

1 Tb sugar

2 Tb fresh lime juice

2 Tb extra virgin olive oil

pinch of kosher salt

pinch of black pepper

1 seedless watermelon

1/4 C of chopped fresh basil or mint

3/4 C crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Heat over medium high heat until it boils, then continue to boil for 5 minutes until a syrup forms. Allow to cool competely.
Chop the melon into bite sized pieces and place in a colander to drain away the excess water. Allow to drain for 10 minutes before assembling the salad
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oilive oil, salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the watermelon, along with the basil or mint, and feta cheese. Toss together well. Serve on plates or bowls then drizzle a generous amount of the balsamic syrup over the top. Serve immediately.