Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad with Honey Dressing

This watermelon salad with feta and mint is the summer side dish I cannot get enough of. Cold, juicy watermelon, creamy salty feta, fresh mint, and a drizzle of honey dressing come together in a way that's ridiculously refreshing for especially hot summer days. 

Inspired by our trip to Greece last summer, this is my take on the watermelon salad we had at Glafkos Taverna, the idyllic seaside restaurant in Paros that we absolutely loved. Here's the kicker: this salad is incredibly delicious but takes almost no effort to pull together at home. After one bite, you're going to be obsessed too.

The combination may sound a little unexpected at first, but I promise after you give this watermelon salad a try, it completely makes sense. You get sweet, salty, juicy, creamy, fresh, and tangy all at once.

It's the perfect easy side dish for cookouts, pool days, beach weekends, or those summer nights when it's too hot to even think about turning on the oven. And the best part? It comes together in about 10 minutes flat.

I also love that this recipe turns plain watermelon into something that feels a little extra special without making things complicated. Just a handful of ingredients, a quick toss in a bowl, and suddenly you've got an unexpected fruit salad that looks beautiful on the table and tastes like peak summer.

Serve this with my Greek chicken kabobs, homemade tzatziki dip, and tomato feta pasta salad and you'll have some very happy dinner guests.

Ready to make that watermelon feta salad? Let's do it!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tasty Tip
• Frequently asked questions
• Related
• Pairing
• 🍽Get the recipe
• RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS
• FOOD SAFETY

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

• watermelon
• feta
• fresh mint
• white balsamic vinegar
• honey
• extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get started!

Hint: I like to tear the mint (especially the larger leaves) right before adding it to the watermelon. That releases the natural oils and makes the salad even more flavorful.

Substitutions

Check out these substitution ideas in case you need to make some adjustments:

• Watermelon - Cantaloupe or honeydew work well instead of watermelon. The flavor changes slightly, but both pair beautifully with feta and mint.
• Feta cheese - I'm a big fan of sheep's milk feta cheese, and I like to buy a big block that's stored in liquid for the ultimate freshness. Goat cheese also works if you want something creamier. Fresh mozzarella and burrata are also good options.
• Fresh mint - Fresh basil is a great alternative to fresh mint if that's what you have.
• White balsamic vinegar - Instead of white balsamic vinegar, you can use regular balsamic, but it will give it a darker color. I'd go for another fruit-forward vinegar like raspberry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar.
• Honey - Maple syrup or agave are good alternatives to the honey.

Variations

Here are additional ways to change up this recipe:

• Tomato and Watermelon Salad - Have you heard the phrase, 'what grows together goes together"? Well that's certainly the case with tomatoes. Add wedges of heirloom tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes along with fresh basil.
• Super Mediterranean - Add sliced red onions, kalamata olives, and cucumbers for a more substantial salad.
• Nutty Crunch - Add toasted pistachios, almonds, or sunflower seeds for extra texture and crunch.
• Spicy - Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the vinaigrette for a little heat to contrasts nicely with sweet watermelon.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

• chef's knife
• measuring spoons
• whisk
• large bowl
• small bowl

Storage

To refrigerate: This salad is best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. (The watermelon will release juice as it sits and get watery. Drain off any excess liquid before serving if needed.)

To freeze: Don't freeze this salad. Since watermelon has a high water content, it will turn mushy when frozen and thawed.

Frequently asked questions

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this watermelon salad recipe:

🍽Get the recipe

RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

FOOD SAFETY

Don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:

• Cover and refrigerate any leftovers--don't let them hang out at room temperature for too long

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.