Mediterranean Watermelon Salad Recipe

Watermelon salad with a light balsamic dressing tossed through a bed of greens, and then topped with tangy feta, chopped Kalamata olives, red onion, diced cucumbers, and mouthwatering sweet watermelon chunks!

Watermelon Salad With Red Onion and Feta

I have a little powerhouse salad going on here! A combination of sweet, salty and tangy flavors that will keep your tastebuds dancing.

The watermelon is juicy, low in calories and is a good source of Vitamin C. Plus, my greens are a mix of spinach, arugula and kale, an excellent source of antioxidants.

Perfect way to fuel up after exercising or just need to cool down from a hot summer day? This salad is what you need.

I have survived over a month of Bikram Yoga, which is yoga in a heated room. I’m struggling though.

Hydrating Watermelon Salad

If you don’t know about the practice, it’s a 90 minute sequence of 26 posture and breathing exercises all done in a heated room. Like a sauna, but without the fancy spa and robe aspect that you might me used to when going in a sauna!

My first few classes were brutal. I felt nauseated, light headed, and REALLY clumsy. I’m completely out of my comfort zone!

During and right after class I need to hydrate myself, and although water helps, something more refreshing like this watermelon salad makes the sweat and awkward poses I just completed a more “spa-like” experience.

Watermelon is made up of about 90% water. It’s light and refreshing and the flavors from this salad burst in your mouth from sweet to salty flavors.

Ingredients For Mediterranean Watermelon Salad

Gather the following ingredients:

• Watermelon – pick up a seedless watermelon. You won’t have to worry about picking out the seeds. I also like to get small watermelons. I find that they are easier to handle and cut with a sharp knife.
• Cucumber – Pick up an English cucumber if they are available in your grocery store. The skin is soft so it isn’t necessary to peel it, and the seeds are small and compact. You can also use a regular cucumber like I did here. You may want to peel the skin or remove some of the skin by using a peeler to shred ribbons off of the cucumber before dicing.
• Feta Cheese – tangy, rich, and salty pairs so well with watermelon. Buy block-style or already crumbled variety.
• Red Onion – thinly sliced.
• Kalamata olives – meaty olives adds flavor and a nice texture to this salad.
• Basil – sliced and folded into the watermelon adds so much flavor. You’ll be tempted to enjoy the salad just as it is, but I recommend adding the greens!
• Greens – purchase mixed greens or combine your own using spinach, arugula, kale or any of your favorite lettuce combination.

Dijon Balsamic Dressing Ingredients

For the homemade salad dressing you will need the following ingredients:

• Olive oil – pick a good quality virgin or extra virgin oil. These oils are unrefined (not treated with chemicals) keeping the olive flavor in the oil.
• Balsamic vinegar – use “Balsamic Vinegar of Modena,” imported from Italy. Don’t confuse the vinegar for the glaze, which is made with vinegar and sugar.
• Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

How To Make Mediterranean Watermelon Salad

This salad is easy to put together. All that is required is dicing the watermelon, cucumber, kalamata olives, and basil.

Fold these ingredients together and set aside while combining the salad dressing. I recommend dicing the watermelon ingredients close to the time when you want to serve this salad. The juices will continue to release the longer it sits watering down the ingredients.

However, the salad dressing can be made in advance.

Lightly dress the greens with the dijon balsamic dressing. Plate, then top with the watermelon mix. Drizzle more dressing on top if you would like or top with a balsamic glaze.

More Salad Recipes

If you love salads as much as I do, then You will want to give these recipes a try too:

• Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad – Quick meal with a homemade dressing that also marinates the chicken.
• Classic Waldorf Salad – Juicy bite size chunks of fruit in a creamy dressing over bib salad.
• Strawberry Avocado Chicken Salad – Fresh strawberries and sliced avocados with chicken over greens and tossed with a poppyseed dressing.

Enjoy this salad as a main dish or a side to your favorite meal.

Mediterranean Watermelon Salad

Fresh sliced watermelon with olives and feta cheese over a bed of greens topped with a homemade dressing. Refreshing main dish or side.

4.64 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: feta, Mediterranean, olives, salad, side dish, summer

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Sandra Shaffer

Ingredients

• 7 cups mixed salad greens bite size
• 3 cups cubed seeded watermelon
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese divided
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives pitted and chopped and divided
• Basil for garnish
• Balsamic glaze for garnish
• 1/3 cup red onion sliced
• 1/2 cup cucumber peeled diced

DRESSING

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Cut watermelon and cucumber into bite size pieces.
• Slice Kalamata olives into smaller pieces (if desired).
• In a large bowl fold together watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese, kalamata olives, onion, and basil.
• For dressing: In a small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Put salad in a large bowl, and toss with about 2 tablespoons of the dijon balsamic dressing to lightly coat the greens.
• Add 1 1/4-1/2 cups of lightly dressed lettuce on a salad plate, and top with watermelon salad mix. Garnish with additional chopped fresh basil and more balsamic dressing or a balsamic glaze if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 380mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g

Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.

This post was first shared July, 2014. It has since been updated with new photos and additional information, July, 2021.

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