Watermelon Cucumber Salad Recipe

Watermelon and cucumber salad in a bowl with two spoons in the bowl.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad Recipe

This Watermelon cucumber salad is an incredibly refreshing savory fruit salad that is flavored with honey lime dressing. Ready in 10 minutes, it is the perfect summer salad you can serve for lunch or take with you to summer potlucks, picnics, and BBQ parties.

Course Lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 290kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon honey

For The Salad:

8 cups fresh watermelon cut into 1-inch cubes ~ 5 to 6 lbs - preferably seedless
2 Persian cucumbers peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick, or English cucumbers
3 tablespoons fresh mint roughly torn
2 tablespoons fresh basil roughly torn
½ cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese

Instructions

Mix olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, and honey in a mason jar and shake vigorously. Set aside.
Place watermelon cubes, sliced cucumber, fresh mint, and basil in a large salad bowl.
Right before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad. Give it a gentle toss being careful not to bruise or break the watermelon chunks.
Sprinkle the feta cheese on top, taste for seasoning, and add more if necessary. Serve.

Notes

Yield: This recipe yields about 6-8 cups of cucumber watermelon salad.
You can use a melon baller to scoop out the watermelon for a special presentation.
Serve it chilled. This salad is best when served cold. I like to keep each ingredient in the refrigerator before and after prepping. This way, all the salad is perfectly chill (and super refreshing) before serving.
Assemble at the last minute: Toss all the ingredients with the dressing just before serving. This keeps the integrity and texture of the watermelon and cucumber intact.
Be gentle while tossing: Use gentle hands to keep the delicate ingredients' shape and structure.
Make Ahead: Prepare all the ingredients and store them in separate containers. You can also make the dressing 3 days in advance and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge. Toss it all together just before serving.
Storage: Leftovers of this salad will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. However, be aware that the watermelon mixture will collect water as it sits. Simply drain, sprinkle salad with fresh herbs, and toss with a touch more the honey lime dressing to bring it back to life before serving.
Balsamic glaze: A light drizzle of balsamic glaze is optional but highly recommended if you have some in your fridge.
Short on time? The most time-consuming part of this recipe is the cutting of the watermelon. If you want to make it even quicker, you can buy pre-cut watermelon when you are at the store.

Nutrition