Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Pistachios

I don’t know if it’s the large amounts of rain or the excessive heat much of the country is experiencing, but the watermelons this summer have been AMAZING! I just can’t get enough.

And I’m loving all the recipes I’ve found using watermelon, with my favorites being Watermelon Salsa and Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Pistachios.

The Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Pistachios is so cool and refreshing. And I absolutely love the addition of mint, parsley and pistachios to the salad. I’m not sure I ever had pistachios in a salad before but I’m liking them in this one.

I was a little uncertain about adding a touch of cloves to the dressing, but it’s just a “hint” of cloves, barely noticeable, but it definitely adds a touch of flavor. It combines perfectly with the mint and parsley.

This recipe has simple ingredients but does require some chopping. I look at chopping as therapeutic meditation. I somehow I shut out the noise around me and lost in the task. That’s a good thing!

How to make Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Pistachios

• Chop the watermelon and cucumber into cubes
• Slice the onion very thin using a knife or mandoline.
• Chop the mint and parsley very finely.
• Rough chop or halve the pistachios. I like when the green color shows in the salad.
• Set aside 1/8 cup of feta cheese to sprinkle on top before serving.
• Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
• Mix carefully to combine.
• In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix to combine.
• Add the dressing to the salad bowl. Mix carefully to evenly coat.
• Sprinkle the remaining feta on the salad right before serving.

A couple more things

The watermelon and cucumber are both super watery. Because of this, I wait until just before serving to mix all the salad ingredients together. The liquid does pool at the bottom of the bowl, and the ingredients can get soggy in no time.

Feel free to make the dressing in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to mix and serve the salad.

Some Other Great Watermelon Recipes

• Shrimp, Watermelon, and Feta Salad
• Watermelon Couscous Salad
• Watermelon Salsa
• Fire and Ice Watermelon Margarita

Print Recipe

Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Pistachios

Author: Anita's Table Talk

Ingredients

Salad

• 4-5 cups watermelon, cut into ¾–inch cubes
• 1/2 cucumber, seeds removed, cut into ¾-inch cubes (or use 1 English cucumber)
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
• 1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
• 1/4 cup roasted pistachios, rough chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

• In a large bowl, ADD watermelon, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, pistachios, mint and parsley. MIX gently to combine.
• In a small bowl, WHISK together olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and cloves.
• ADD dressing to the salad and MIX gently to combine.

Notes

The watermelon and cucumber are super watery, so this salad is best put together right before serving.

I usually make the dressing ahead of time and mix it into the salad right before serving.