Refreshing Watermelon Salad
Surprising yet delicious combination of ingredients that can be had as a starter salad, healthy snack or a light meal.
Surprising yet delicious combination of ingredients that can be had as a starter salad, healthy snack or a light meal.
I wish I had taken a picture because this was such a pretty dish, but I made it at the cottage and had forgotten my camera. I used mint instead of cilantro since by majority my family doesn't care for the cilantro. I was surprised that even the kids enjoyed this dish since they don't often try anything with feta in it.
Read MoreI made only one fourth of the recipe and poured the lime juice right at serving time. I really liked the sweet and salty taste of the salad but even though I like Cilantro, I did not think it went well in the salad. I only used it for a small portion of the salad for the sake of rating and for the photo, but then I used basil in the rest of the salad and we really liked it. It brought out the sweetness and freshness of the watermelon. I will make this again but with basil and will assemble the salad right before serving. With the changes, it's a 5 star salad.
Read MoreI wish I had taken a picture because this was such a pretty dish, but I made it at the cottage and had forgotten my camera. I used mint instead of cilantro since by majority my family doesn't care for the cilantro. I was surprised that even the kids enjoyed this dish since they don't often try anything with feta in it.
The recipe I made used fresh mint instead of cilantro (which is a good thing because I do not like cilantro). It is the most refreshing salad I have ever eaten. Perfect for a hot humid day.
I made only one fourth of the recipe and poured the lime juice right at serving time. I really liked the sweet and salty taste of the salad but even though I like Cilantro, I did not think it went well in the salad. I only used it for a small portion of the salad for the sake of rating and for the photo, but then I used basil in the rest of the salad and we really liked it. It brought out the sweetness and freshness of the watermelon. I will make this again but with basil and will assemble the salad right before serving. With the changes, it's a 5 star salad.
Well, I liked it. My family, mistakenly thinking there is a food better than watermelon, thought it was okay. They said it is an attractive salad and the comment was made that those flavors together will take some getting used to. I agreed there. I think I will try it again and play with the flavors a little and see if we can't make it a little less savory. I think that could be accompolished by leaving out the salt, pepper and some of the cilantro and adding some herbs from my herb garder of lemon and cinnamon basil. Over all I think it is good but I love watermelon any way at all. I'm still thinking about the cheese. I'm giving it four stars.
This is a GREAT salad to have in warm & hot weather! I had no positive expectations. I was pleasantly & thoroughly surprised that all the flavors came together in such a delightful manner! I made this as written, except for the cheese. I happened to have Manouri & not Feta. Manouri is another Greek cheese, which is almost as salty as Feta, but slightly drier & denser. It was excellent! We'll be enjoying this salad many times throughout the hot summer & autumn.
DELICIOUS blend of flavors, texture. The sweet watermelon w/ the cucumber crunch & sharp feta & onions is wonderful! Thankx CHICA3578!!
LOVED this! I figured I would like it, but this salad really wowed me. I love the sharp contrast of flavors; the saltiness of the feta plays off the watermelon so nicely. I did have to use lemon juice, as I was out of limes. Definitely will make this again. Thanks :)
I've made this recipe twice for BBQ's with friends - both times there were no left overs-:). I followed the recipe, used cilantro, & added the lime juice/red onion & salt right before serving. It's a keeper!
I too was skeptical about the combination but the watermelon works very well in this savory dish. I suppose it adds a sweetness that would otherwise come from a dressing. The outcome was a nice surprise. Don't overdo it on the onion or it will overpower the other flavors. I will certainly make it again.
Good! I really did like the flavors. I used mint rather than cilantro and I'm really glad I did, although definitely watch how much mint as it can overwhelm the salad. I also used a sweet onion.
I absolutely loved this salad. I was expecting to like it anyway as I do love sweet/savoury combinations and was anticipating the saltiness of the feta to counteract with the juiciness of the watermelon, which it does! I found that I had no fresh coriander to hand so I used flat leaf parsley instead. It was still wonderful. Perfect for a hot summer day! On a side note, my partner did not enjoy it so much, although he admitted it tasted very good. He just could not get his head around the fact that watermelon was the main ingredient and not something like tomatoes - tough luck for him, as I'll be making this again!
This salad just wasn't for us. I scaled the recipe back since there are only 2 of us but followed it as written. The cilantro was too over powering and the Feta was over bearing. I'm wondering if using in season melo would make a difference? Also, I think mint or basil (as someone else suggested) would go better in this. Don't think I will be making it again.
I really wanted to like this but it just didn't suit us at all. I didn't like the texture of the feta and watermelon together at all, and even the flavors were a bit off for me. I love watermelon, and the feta cheese kind of "ruined" it. I cut back on the cilantro by half, because although I'm starting to appreciate cilantro more I still need to have it in small doses or it's too overwhelming for me. It still didn't seem to fit in this dish, so I think I should have stuck to my instincts and used fresh mint instead.
Taking other reviewers suggestions I used mint instead of cilantro. This was really good and refreshing. My BF and I ate this as a side with a sandwich for lunch and I cant wait to make it again!
took this salad to a dinner party and it barely got touched. I thought it was okay but probably not something I'll make again.
I used mint, preferring it over cilamtro. It still wasn't a big hit at the bbq. I wasn't a fan either, but this is all personal taste!
I used mint instead of cilantro because it sounded better to me and I love fresh mint. My family enjoyed this one, but thought there was too much onion in it (which may have been my fault because I scaled the recipe way down and didn't really measure all the ingredients). Overall, probably not something I would make many more times, but it was a nice and refreshing change. Very colorful and pretty, too!
Scaled this down: mix together 1/2 a med watermelon, 1/4 onion finely chopped, 1/2 cucumber, 1/4 c cashews chopped in half, black pepper, and feta then pour over 1/4 cup olive oil and a couple tbs fresh lemon juice. Let sit in the fridge to let flavors blend for 30 min. Wait to add salt just before serving since water from the melon will release. Add cilantro or mint... Or neither :) yum. Def the best watermelon salad recipe I've tried.... And I've tried a bunch.
Hmmm...this is a tough one for me to rate. I made this to accompany dinner tonight & it was not well recieved, though I thought it was decent. When throwing it together I measured out the cilantro but only used 1/2 a watermelon and one big english cucumber & decided that was good enough. I also reduced the amount of feta to 6 oz and the amount of lime juice to 2 tbs. As no one in our family is really a fan of red onions, I just omitted them altogether. My suggestion would be to anyone who makes this salad, try to assemble it as close to meal time as possible because my watermelon ran ALOT & it looked more like soup by dinner time. Not too appealing, though beforehand it was very attractive. My sister wouldn't touch it at dinner & my parents said it was "okay" and that I didn't need to make this one again. I sort of felt the same...it was good, but not great like I was hoping.
Wonderful light salad with great eye appeal and great blend of flavors. Made exactly as written.
This was the hit of our 4th of July party yesterday--everyone asked for the recipe! I followed the recipe, except for mixing half lime and half lemon juice which worked fine. A keeper for sure.
This is absolutely on of the best salads ever. The name is spot on "Refreshing" as that is how my friends described it....even before knowing that was the name. I made according to recipe except added just a little fresh mint. I make this salad three or four times during the summer. It also makes a great snack with a few wheat thin crackers on the side.
I made this for dinner tonight, but made a smaller version. I love cilantro, but agree it could be overpowering. For me, I felt like the feta cheese was overpowering and I'm not sure that I like the texture. Normally, I'm a fan. Overall, it is a refreshing recipe. I think I will play with the ingredients to meet my needs.
Excellent recipe, my family love it! Love flavours wonder if arugala will work too?
Watermelon salad is a revelation! Who would have thought! I heard about it years ago from a friend who swore it was delicious. I finally decided to give it a go - and now it is going to be a regular for my summer BBQ's! The only thing different I did was to drizzle some olive oil on it, I found that it gave it finished it off well.
I liked this recipe..i love watermelon and it's healthy,too..
I tought this was good. The watermelon I had wasn't that great, a little soft. So I'm sure if I had a better watermelon it would've been much better. Still was good though. I used some fresh basil instead of cilantro because thats what I had and I'm not a huge an of cilantro.
Love this. I have made it 4 time in the last two months. Only change was to add some garden ripe cherry tomatoes.
Love this recipe and its my husbands favourite. It is delicious and refreshing!
I made this salad, but with a few modifications. I didn't use cilantro or lime. I used basil and balsamic vinaigrette. It was refreshing on a hot summer evening.
Super refreshing! - I skipped the Feta altogether, shaved the red onions super thin, used half Lime & half Lemon juice, ...& for SURE a large drizzle of Olive Oil! (Makes it more of a 'proper' salad in my opinion) ...& having the watermelon well-chilled prior to assembling will be beneficial.
Yum! I used mint from my garden instead. It was sooooo amazing. I should have been embarrassed with how much I complimented myself on making this! It is my new favorite way to eat watermelon.
I love watermelon and feta together -- who knew? Cilantro tastes like soap to me, so I used fresh mint instead. I might leave the cucumber out next time, just to experiment.
i make this a lot in the summer, I pack it up in mason jars for my work lunch, bring dressing on the side! and boom awesome healthy lunch!
Love it! So delicious! I’ve made it with both cilantro and mint, and either way, it’s awesome! Very refreshing on a hot day or on the side with a spicy meal. It’s also so easy to make, you just can’t go wrong. I can’t get enough of it! Thanks for posting.
Really a hit at dinner on these hot summer days! And so easy to make.
I made this recipe just as printed. My husband and I both liked it. The marinated onions in the lime juice really made it pop. Next time I think I would make a few more onions. Definitely a keeper.
I took this to a ladies' get together and it was a huge hit. Everyone asked for the recipe and I have made it several times. Will be sure to use it again. Super simple and really good!
Dee-licious! Can substitute mint for all or part of the cilantro if you want. Can also substitute lemon juice for the lime juice to soak the onions. Be sure to soak the onions! I like to cube the feta in little pieces which makes it a little prettier because there's not so many tiny crumbles. Also, don't forget to drain off the juice that gathers at the bottom of the bowl so the watermelon won't get soggy. Don't throw out the juice though; drink it! It's delicious! Best served within a few hours of preparing. ;)
It was OK. I will try a different watermelon recipe next time. Not sure I loved the cilantro as the main herb and i usually LOVE cilantro. If I made it again, I would also reduce from 3 cucumbers to 2 cucumbers.
Love, love, this salad. Make it quite a bit during season.
Easy to assemble and refreshing. Would make it again for a large group as the recipe calls for lots of watermelon. I only made it for 5 people and probably got the adjusted measurements somewhat off. Still quite good...
This is one of my favorite salads. All the herbs listed to switch and no one said DILL! It is perfect in this combination of flavors. Try it and I think you will agree.
Very fresh and perfect for the summer. It was a side to a grilled steak sandwich for us
This is delicious and refreshing! No changes, and I juiced a fresh lime for the lime juice. It was hot and humid here today, and this was just perfect for this type of weather.
Made this once so far. Delicious, refreshing side dish on a very warm summer evening. Due to allergies amongst our household, we omitted the cilantro and feta. Since we omitted the feta, we sprinkled a little bit more salt. This dish will be a regular side for summer grilling!
Yummy. The only change I made was I used basil instead of cilantro as I'm not a big fan of cilantro. Will make again.
Not sure lime juice did anything. Maybe vinegar would be better. But still a good recipe. Had to downsize to 3 servings, due to watermelon available, and we’re only two. REALLY ODD measurements, hubby winged it!
This was fantastic. I didn't have any lime and it was still very good. Ive made another version with dried mint instead of cilantro. Both are good. I added some crushed red pepper. Next time try cantaloupe or honeydew if they are less expensive? Next time add lime zest with the lime juice. The quality of feta could really take this over the top. I used a very nice feta from a specialty market. Served with baked buffalo chicken thighs and roasted veggies.
I've made this recipe a few times now and it is a perfect salad during summer gatherings! I substituted the cilantro for mint leaves, omitted the salt and pepper, and used a Mediterranean feta (my favorite). I figured the seasonings in the feta would suffice. Another suggestion is to cut the watermelon in triangular sections and serve individually topped with the remaining ingredients and drizzled with a balsamic glaze.
Have made often - refreshing.
I didn't know what to expect with this salad but I needed to use up a melon that we had. I had all the ingredients on hand so why not. I'm not crazy for watermelon but we all love this! I buy a melon and chop half for my daughter to eat and use the other half for this! I don't change much....sometimes add jalapeno or a different onion, just whatever we have. Thank you!!!!!
Really good, next time I will chop the red onions a little smaller and use less than the recipe calls for. Otherwise salad is really good!
Refreshing. Go easy on the onions. It overpowered the watermelon.
I added tomatoes and used a white wine, chives, shallot vinagrette for dressing.
Very refreshing and a great way to use watermelon. I am on the Noom weight loss program and a cup of this is only 94 calories and it is quite satisfying. I did halve the recipe ans that was plenty for the 2 of us. My hubbie also loves it.
Loved this! I substituted basil for the cilantro. Made it for my mom (she's on WW) and not only did she love it, but realized it was "0" points without the cheese!...so I added her portion of the feta cheese to mine!
I absolutely loved it! I used fresh mint instead of cilantro, and i scooped the water melon instead of cutting it cubes.
Delicious! I added a little balsamic vinegar and honey to the lime juice. Also I marinated everything for 1 day so so good!
Delicious and refreshing! I followed this recipe exactly as written and it turned out great. Wonderful variety of flavors that compliment each other. NOTE: Marinating the onions in the lime juice is an important step. I will definitely be making this again.
This was a light and refreshing salad for the summer time. Soaking the onions in the lime juice took out some of the kick of the onion which was good. My husband is not a big fan of onion, so I used much less than what the recipe called. The mix of flavors is pleasant. I would make this again.
I enjoyed this salad even more than the one with mint. Cilantro always brings an earthiness to a dish, particularly a fresh salad. I can appreciate a sweet watermelon, creamy feta, crunchy cucumber, red onion/lime dressing, cilantro salad. Undrenched. Crisp. Delightful.
Somehow this works but you're really not sure why. Kinda of a train wreck
Great! People asked for the recipe! Love watermelon & love feta cheese! This is definitely a summer recipe to do again!
Absolutely loved this salad. Followed laughingmagpie's suggestion of using peppermint instead of cilantro. I have fresh peppermint growing in my herb garden and it enhanced the sweetness of the watermelon.
Super refreshing & yummy. I made mine with goat cheese instead of feta. Thank you for the recipe!
Excellent combination of flavors! I was hesitant but curious so I followed the recipe to a T - and loved it!!! It looks great too, perfect dish to bring to a BBQ.
I substituted basil for the cilantro and used less onion than called for. No need for salt... Very good!
I made it, its ok and I missed the lime juice part but drizzled over salad mix at the end. I went by the wrong recipe thats similar but it didnt have the onions or lime juice. I will make this again soon maybe for labor day.
I really liked this recipe. And even my husband, who doesn't like cilantro said he thought it was good. However, it is best served fresh. By day two, the flavors were getting strong and the cheese had absorbed liquid. Opt for bigger chunks of feta as opposed to the crumbles so it does not just coat the watermelon.
I made this salad for BBQ at work. I used a little bit less feta cheese and skipped salt all together. I didn't have enough cucumber so ended up using about 1 and 1/2 cup of small cubed cucumbers. All other ingredients were proportioned as specified in the original recipe. It was delicious and was a big hit! I will definitely make this again.
Perfect as is. Too bad some guests don’t have adventurous taste buds.
did not like this at all. It was a flop at my party. Just too sweet for us.
this is a keeper for my recipe boxI added lime zest to the top of the salad very refreshing salad
Yum! This made a refreshing and light side to BBQ burgers. I used fresh basil instead of cilantro because a friend gave me a bag full from her garden. I will definitely make again and try it with the cilantro.
Very tasty and refreshing :). Made it with celery, romaine lettuce and lemon juice instead of cucumber and lime juice
this is a keeper for my recipe boxI added lime zest to the top of the salad very refreshing salad
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