Julie Clark
Updated:
Watermelon Salad Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Nothing says summer picnic like this easy watermelon salad recipe. With fresh watermelon and basil, a sprinkling of feta cheese and a savory balsamic reduction, this easy summer side dish is cool and refreshing! You may also love our strawberry salad.
Watermelon Salad Recipe
One fruit that is almost always at our summer picnics is watermelon. Watermelon slices are refreshing enough on their own, but what if you want to switch things up a bit? Try this watermelon salad with feta cheese, fresh basil and a balsamic reduction. The sweet and savory flavors go together in a delicious way.
How to Pick a Watermelon
Choosing a watermelon can sometimes be a difficult task. Here are some tips for choosing a sweet, ripe watermelon:
- Ripe fruits are generally heavier than unripe fruits, so pick up a few and choose one that feels heavy for its size.
- Look at its “belly” or field spot. There yellowish spot on the watermelon where it sat in a field. That spot should be a buttery yellow color rather than white.
- Tap the belly of the watermelon. It should sound deep and hollow rather than dull.
Watermelon Feta Salad
Once you choose a juicy ripe watermelon, it’s time to make the salad! Cut up about 4 cups of watermelon, crumble some feta cheese, snip fresh basil and get salt, pepper and lime together to season. Mix all these together gently. Then you’re ready to make the balsamic reduction.
Balsamic Reduction
I don’t often make balsamic reduction, but we do have a caprese pizza that calls for it and we LOVE that pizza, so I knew this recipe would be a hit, too. What is a balsamic reduction? It’s simply the process of boiling down vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to create a sweet and savory syrup that you can drizzle over meats and salads.
To make a balsamic reduction, simply simmer the balsamic vinegar and sugar over low heat, cooking and stirring until the vinegar has reduced and is syrupy in texture.
Drizzle this reduction over your salad before serving and toss to coat. Refrigerate the salad until you are ready to serve it!
Other Fruit Salad Recipes
- Creamy Mango Fruit Salad
- Sparkling Fruit Salad
- Easy Raspberry Mascarpone Dip
- Sugared Walnut Fruit Salad
Watermelon Salad Recipe
Nothing says summer picnic like this easy watermelon salad recipe. With fresh watermelon and basil, a sprinkling of feta cheese and a savory balsamic reduction, this easy summer side dish is cool and refreshing!
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- 1/8 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 lime
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Cut watermelon into bite sized chunks.
- Crumble feta cheese and sprinkle over the top.
- Loosely chop the basil and sprinkle over salad.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Squeeze the juice of the lime over the salad.
For the Balsamic Reduction:
- Place balsamic vinegar into small saucepan onto low heat, add sugar to mixture and stir constantly until mixture starts to thicken.
- Remove from the heat and add the salt and pepper stir to incorporate. Let cool. Drizzle over salad.
- Refrigerate till ready to serve.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the recipe being divided 4 ways, with 1 serving being about 1 cup of watermelon salad. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 223mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1025IU | Vitamin C: 14.8mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 0.8mg
This was so tasty! The family loved it, even the kids! Thank you!