Linda’s Fresh Watermelon Salad
This is one of my sister Linda’s recipes, and when she first told me what was in it, I had questions. Watermelon and cherry tomatoes? Then cucumber, green onion and mint? It sounded like a fruit salad having a small identity crisis.
But she was right. The watermelon is sweet, the tomatoes are savory, the cucumber adds plenty of crunch and the mint makes everything taste fresh. A simple lemon and olive oil dressing pulls it all together.
It is colorful, cold and exactly right beside grilled chicken—which proves that sometimes the person suggesting tomatoes and watermelon knows what she is doing.
Want the recipe? No judgment—jump straight there:
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Why You’ll Love It
Watermelon and cherry tomatoes create a surprisingly good sweet-and-savory combination.
Cucumber adds plenty of crunch, while fresh mint keeps the salad cool and refreshing.
The simple lemon and olive oil dressing lets the fresh ingredients do most of the work.
There is no cooking required—an excellent quality when the grill is already fully staffed.
It is colorful, quick to assemble and made for serving beside grilled chicken.
Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6 | Course: Salad or Side Dish
Ingredients
5 cups seedless watermelon, cut into bite-size cubes
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large English cucumber, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
⅓ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, torn
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
How to Make It
Combine the watermelon, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and green onions in a large serving bowl.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat without breaking up the watermelon.
Fold in the torn mint leaves.
Taste and adjust the salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed.
Serve immediately or refrigerate briefly until ready to serve.
Pro Tips & Notes
Treat the quantities as a starting point. A little more watermelon, fewer tomatoes or an extra handful of mint will not bring the salad police to your patio.
Tear the mint into irregular pieces rather than chopping it finely. We want fresh mint not lawn clippings.
Keep the ingredients chilled but wait to add the dressing and salt until shortly before serving.
Toss gently. The goal is a salad, not a watermelon smoothie.
This salad is best the day it is made.
What to Serve with It
Serve this cool, crisp salad beside Grilled Lemon-Herb Chicken and grilled corn with lemon-garlic butter. Add a pitcher of Little Italy Spritz, and you have a colorful patio dinner that looks considerably more complicated than it is.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
A Few Helpful Extras
You do not need much equipment for this salad, but a roomy bowl, a sturdy cutting board and a good citrus juicer make quick work of all that chopping and squeezing. Linda did not specify any special tools, but she also is not here cleaning watermelon juice off the counter.
Large stoneware serving bowl →
Want a Printable Version?
Prefer the printable version? Here you go.
Download the Printable Recipe →
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