This watermelon blueberry salad combines juicy watermelon, fresh blueberries, crisp cucumber, and crumbled feta with chopped basil (or mint) and a simple lime dressing. It comes together in about 10 minutes, no cooking required. Sweet, salty, and refreshing, it's exactly what you want on a hot day.
Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Watermelon Blueberry Salad with Feta
- 🕒 Ready In: 10 minutes (no cooking required)
- 👪 Serves: 6
- 🍽 Calories: ~98 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Watermelon, blueberries, English cucumber, fresh basil, feta cheese, lime, olive oil
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free (easily made vegan)
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Sweet watermelon and salty feta with a fresh basil and lime finish. One bowl, no cooking, and it doubles easily for a crowd.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This is one of those summer salads I make on repeat once watermelon is in season. Most watermelon feta salads stop at feta and mint, but I add cucumber for crunch and blueberries for a little tartness. The red, white, and blue colors make it perfect for the Fourth of July, and it comes together in about 10 minutes with no cooking.
If you like easy, refreshing salads like this, you'll also love my cucumber carrot salad recipe and my strawberry goat cheese salad, two more that come together fast and travel well to potlucks. For something with a different flavor profile, my Thai mango salad is another fresh, no-cook side I lean on all summer.
To round it into a full spread, I serve this alongside crispy grilled skinless boneless chicken thighs or juicy grilled turkey burgers, and I'll add my grilled corn and avocado salad when I'm feeding a crowd. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and easy is the whole idea here.
Jump to:
- Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad At A Glance
- Why You'll Love This Watermelon Blueberry Salad
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad (Step-by-Step)
- Video Tutorial
- My Tips + Notes
- How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon
- What to Serve With Watermelon Salad
- Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Watermelon Feta Salad FAQs
- More Summer Salad Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Watermelon Blueberry Salad
- Ready in 10 minutes, no cooking. Just chop, toss, and serve.
- Sweet meets salty. Juicy watermelon and salty feta are the combo that makes this work, with blueberries adding a little tartness.
- Extra crunch and freshness. Cucumber and basil set this apart from the usual watermelon feta salad.
- Perfect for a crowd. A reliable hit at BBQs, potlucks, and Fourth of July cookouts, and it doubles easily.
- Make-ahead friendly. Prep the components ahead, and toss with the dressing right before serving.
- Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. Easy to make vegan by swapping or skipping the feta.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Watermelon: The base of the salad. Use fresh, seedless watermelon cut into bite-sized cubes. A whole one you cut yourself has the best flavor.
- English cucumber: Adds cool, crisp crunch. If you only have a regular cucumber, scoop out the seeds first.
- Blueberries: A sweet, juicy pop that balances the salty feta.
- Fresh basil: Brings a fresh, herby note. Use fresh leaves, not dried. Mint works too if you prefer the classic version.
- Feta cheese: Crumbled feta adds a creamy, salty bite. Crumble it yourself from a block for the best texture. It's the same cheese I use in my refreshing Mediterranean dense bean salad.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime adds the zesty, tangy kick that ties it together.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: A small drizzle adds richness. You can leave it out.
- Honey (optional): A little extra sweetness if your watermelon isn't quite sweet enough.
- Salt and black pepper: Season to taste. The black pepper sounds unexpected, but it's great with watermelon.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Use mint instead of basil: Fresh mint is the classic pairing with watermelon and feta. Use either, or a mix of both.
- Make it dairy-free or vegan: Swap in a dairy-free feta, or skip the cheese and add diced avocado for creaminess instead.
- Swap the cheese: Crumbled goat cheese works in place of feta for a tangier, creamier bite.
- Add avocado: Diced avocado brings healthy fats and a creamy contrast to the crisp watermelon and cucumber.
- Add crunch: Toss in chopped pistachios, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for extra texture.
- Make it spicy: A little sliced or diced jalapeño plays surprisingly well against the sweet fruit.
- Make it a meal: Top with grilled chicken or shrimp to turn this side into a light main. My grilled Greek yogurt marinated chicken breasts are my go-to here.
- Swap the dressing: No lime? Fresh lemon juice works, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup adds sweetness if your watermelon is underripe.
How to Make Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1: Make the Salad. Add the watermelon, cucumber, blueberries, basil, and feta to a large mixing bowl. Pour the lime dressing over the top.
- Step 2: Toss Everything. Gently toss until just combined, keeping the feta from breaking apart too much. Taste, adjust the lime or salt, and serve.
Video Tutorial
My Tips + Notes
- Chill everything first. For the most refreshing result, chill the watermelon, cucumber, and blueberries before you assemble. You can also prep everything and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
- Add the feta last. Fold it in gently at the end so it keeps its shape instead of breaking down into the dressing.
- Use seedless watermelon. It makes the salad easier to eat and saves you from picking out seeds while you serve.
- Don't skip the black pepper. It sounds odd with fruit, but a few cracks of fresh black pepper make the watermelon taste even sweeter.
- Dress it right before serving. Watermelon and cucumber release water as they sit, so toss with the dressing just before the salad hits the table to keep it crisp, not soggy.
How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon
A ripe watermelon makes or breaks this salad, so it's worth a few extra seconds at the store. Here's what I look for:
- Find the field spot. That's the patch where the watermelon sat on the ground as it ripened. You want a creamy yellow or orange spot, not white or pale green. A deep yellow field spot is the best single sign of ripeness.
- Pick it up. A ripe watermelon feels heavy for its size, which means it's full of water and juice.
- Check the shape. A symmetrical, even melon ripened with steady sun and water. Odd lumps or flat sides can mean uneven ripening.
- Give it a knock. Tap the side and listen for a deep, hollow sound. A dull or flat thud usually means it's underripe or overripe.
What to Serve With Watermelon Salad
This watermelon salad is a side, so it pairs best with something hot off the grill. These are my go-to mains:
- Grilled chicken: My grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs and grilled Greek chicken Kabobs are the two I reach for most.
- Burgers and sliders: Juicy grilled turkey burgers or juicy bison burgers round out a cookout plate.
- More summer sides: Build a bigger spread with my grilled corn and avocado salad or a Thai mango salad.
- Seafood: I love serving this watermelon salad with these grilled BBQ shrimp skewers.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Can you make it ahead? Yes, with one trick: prep the components and store the dressing separately. Cube the watermelon and cucumber, rinse the blueberries, and chop the basil up to a day ahead, then toss everything with the dressing and feta right before serving. That keeps the salad crisp instead of watery.
- How to store leftovers. Keep leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. The watermelon and cucumber will release liquid as they sit, so give it a gentle stir before serving and add a little fresh basil to brighten it back up.
- Can you freeze it? No. Watermelon and cucumber are too high in water and turn mushy once thawed, so this salad is best made fresh.
Watermelon Feta Salad FAQs
Feta is the classic choice. Its salty, briny bite balances the sweet watermelon better than almost anything else. Goat cheese is a good swap if you want something tangier and creamier.
Yes. Mint is the traditional herb with watermelon and feta, while basil gives it a slightly more savory, herby note. Use whichever you prefer, or a mix of both.
Store the dressing separately and toss it in right before serving. Chilling the watermelon and cucumber first, then adding the feta last, also helps keep everything crisp rather than soggy.
Yes. Prep the watermelon, cucumber, blueberries, and basil up to a day ahead, but keep the dressing and feta separate until just before serving so the salad stays fresh.
Fresh is best here. Frozen blueberries soften and bleed as they thaw, which turns the salad muddy. If fresh ones aren't available, add frozen ones that are still partly frozen and toss gently right before serving.
Yes. It's naturally low in calories, hydrating, and made entirely from whole ingredients, with about 98 calories per serving. It's vegetarian and gluten-free, and easy to make vegan by skipping the feta.
More Summer Salad Recipes You'll Love
If you loved this easy watermelon blueberry feta salad, here are a few more salad recipes to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Watermelon Blueberry Salad with Feta
Ingredients
Watermelon Salad:
- 5 - 6 cups cubed watermelon, 1-inch cubes
- 1 ½ cups English cucumber, peeled and cut into quarter moons
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- ⅓ - ½ cup crumbed feta cheese
Lime Dressing:
- 1 -2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice, about 1 - 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon honey, for optional sweetness
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper.
- Combine the salad. Add the watermelon, cucumber, blueberries, and basil to a large salad bowl.
- Toss. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- Add the feta last. Fold it in gently so it keeps its shape, then sprinkle a little extra on top to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Tati Chermayeff says
My favorite summer salad! love this recipe and its so easy to make and refreshing. sweet but salty!