The Ultimate Watermelon Cucumber Salad

Your new favorite way to eat watermelon has arrived. This is THE Ultimate Watermelon Cucumber Salad, and it’s everything that you could have dreamed of and more. It’s full of juicy summer watermelon, crunchy Persian cucumbers, tangy feta cheese, and chopped pistachios for a delightfully nutty twist. And, it’s topped with a thick, zesty dressing that truly makes this salad taste like summer. I make this salad every summertime for my family, and now your family can enjoy it too!

Friends, of all of the different summertime ingredients that we have to work with, one of my all-time favorites is watermelon. They’re fresh, they’re juicy, they’re hydrating, and there are so many different ways to enjoy them! From my favorite watermelon sticks to my watermelon frosé, there is truly no wrong way to prepare watermelon. But when it comes to the BEST preparation? It has to be this salad!

This salad is one that I’ve been making for my family for years, and I’m so excited to finally share it with YOU. It’s bright and refreshing thanks to the mint and red onion, slightly spicy thanks to the jalapeño, and perfectly tangy and crunchy thanks to the cucumber, pistachios, and feta cheese. It’s the perfect combination of textures and flavors, and even my boys love eating it!

Even though summer has barely started, I’ve already made this salad a handful of times, and it’s one that I can’t wait to take with me to all of my summer hangouts. Whether that’s to a classic summer BBQ or a picnic in San Francisco with my boys, this salad is a staple recipe during the summertime and is perfect when served as a side dish, or as a main course!

What You Need to Make This Ultimate Summer Salad

• Watermelon: Of course, you will need the perfect watermelon in order to make this salad!
• Persian Cucumbers: I love using Persian cucumbers for this salad, because they are small, crunchy, and delicious. However, traditional English cucumbers also work well for this recipe- just be sure to dice them small.
• Red Onion: Red onions are tangy and full of flavor! If you really want to take this salad to the next level, you could also opt for pickled red onions here.
• Mint: Fresh mint adds brightness and flavor that tastes so good with the watermelon! Don’t skip this and I also don’t recommend opting for dried. Fresh is truly the best here.
• Jalapeño: The jalapeño adds just enough of a kick to add a deeper flavor to this salad, but not enough that it becomes overly spicy. However if you do want a spicier salad, you can always add more in!

• Feta Cheese: Feta cheese is salty, tangy, and perfectly compliments the sweetness of the watermelon.
• Pistachios: If you love crunchy toppings in salads (like I do), then you will love the addition of pistachios in this recipe! They add a dose of healthy fats, as well as provides that much-needed crunch (which is essential, if you ask me ☻.)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil is my favorite ingredient to use to make salad dressings. It’s full of healthy fats and adds a delicious flavor that other oils just can’t replicate.
• Honey or Maple Syrup: You can use either honey or maple syrup in order to add sweetness to this dressing! Both work equally as well, and make the dressing sweet without adding in refined sugars.
• Lime & Lemon: You will need both the zest and the juice of one lemon and one lime in order to make this recipe.
• Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt adds the perfect flavor to the dressing!

Five Easy Steps to Making This Salad

To make this salad, start by washing and chopping your watermelon and Persian cucumbers and add them to a large bowl. Next, add in the rest of your salad ingredients and set the bowl to the side.

Then, in a separate small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until fully combined. The dressing will be super thick, but that’s how we want it!

Finally, pour the dressing on top of the salad and toss until everything is fully coated in the dressing. Once done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in a container, in the fridge, for up to three days.

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Gayle McLeod