Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe with Mint

Learn how to pick the perfect watermelon, and make this watermelon feta salad with mint. It’s the perfect summer dish for days when it’s too hot to eat. Each bite of cold juicy watermelon paired with salty feta and cooling mint is so refreshing!
How to Pick a Watermelon
Watermelons come in many sizes, shapes, and colors (such as the yellow one in the photo). To help you choose a sweet juicy watermelon, here are a few tips:
–> Pick it up! A watermelon should feel heavy for its size;
–> Look for a yellow spot on the watermelon, this is where it was sitting on the ground while on the vine;
–> Give it a gentle knock, it should make a deep hollow sound, meaning it’s juicy and at its full peak ripeness!
How to Store Watermelon
This watermelon feta salad recipe calls for a half a small watermelon. But sometimes small watermelons are hard to find. So what are your options for storing, and eventually using up a large watermelon? If I’m only using a half of a watermelon, I’ll store the other half, cut-side down, on a plate in the refrigerator. This is a plastic-free option for storing it. Or sometimes, I’ll just cut up the entire watermelon into chunks, use half for this salad, and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge. Already cut cold watermelon is a terrific summertime snack! Sometimes, the cut watermelon doesn’t get eaten as fast as expected, and in that case, I will turn the watermelon into juice. Just put watermelon chunks in a blender, turn on and run until the chunks are slushy (adding a little water if necessary), and then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Adding lime juice to watermelon juice is delicious! Or don’t strain, and freeze briefly for a natural watermelon slushy. The possibilities are endless.
Easy Healthy Dinners
For a terrific summer meal, make this salad alongside Turkish-style kofte kebabs and Turkish-style green beans.
Watermelon Salad Recipe with Feta Cheese and Mint
Ingredients
- 1/2 small watermelon, chilled
- 5 ounces feta cheese
- 15 mint leaves
- sprinkle Aleppo chili pepper or red pepper flakes
- drizzle extra virgin olive oil (a fruity one if you have it)
- 1 lime (optional)
Instructions
- Cut watermelon and feta cheese into equal sized cubes and arrange on a serving platter. Place mint leaves around. Sprinkle with chili pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and give a squeeze of lime if desired. Serve immediately.