Vegan Feta and Watermelon Mint Salad Recipe

Fresh vegan watermelon mint salad with vegan feta, cucumber, red onion and a tangy lime dressing. Ready in 20 minutes.

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This Vegan Feta and Watermelon Mint Salad Recipe is one of those easy summer dishes that looks so colourful and fresh, but takes hardly any effort at all. The cool sweetness of the watermelon with salty vegan feta cheese, crisp cucumber, red onion and fresh mint leaves is such a gorgeous flavour combination, especially on hot summer days when you want something light, juicy and refreshing.

It's the kind of recipe I love for a relaxed summer meal, whether it's going on the table with veggie burgers, being packed up for summer potlucks, or served as an easy summer side dish for a family dinner in the garden. It has that perfect balance of sweet watermelon, salty flavours, fresh herbs and a tangy lime dressing, and honestly it feels like the essence of summer in a bowl.

Why You'll Love This Vegan Watermelon Mint Salad

This watermelon mint salad comes together in just minutes and there's no cooking involved, which is always the best part on a hot day. You don't need a small saucepan, oven, hob or anything complicated - just a sharp knife, a large bowl and a small bowl for the dressing.

It's also a lovely one for little experimentation. The complete recipe is really simple as it is, but you can add fresh basil, toasted seeds, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, avocado or even a little chilli if you want to make it your own.

Ingredients

The fresh ingredients in this watermelon salad recipe are all easy to get hold of, especially at this time of year when a good watermelon is usually at its best. You'll need cubed watermelon, vegan feta cheese, red onion, cucumber, fresh mint leaves and a simple lime dressing made with lime juice, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Watermelon is naturally juicy and refreshing, while cucumber adds crunch and vegan feta brings that salty combination that makes a classic watermelon feta salad so delicious. I use a seedless watermelon where possible because it makes the salad easier to eat, especially if you're serving it at a barbecue, picnic or summer menu where people are helping themselves.

For the vegan feta cheese, choose one that has a good salty flavour and can either be cut into cubes or gently crumbled. In the UK, Violife Greek White is an easy supermarket option and is listed as plant-based, dairy-free and suitable for vegans. In the US, Violife Just Like Feta and Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Feta Crumbles are good options for salads. Follow Your Heart describes its feta crumbles as creamy, tangy and salty, which is exactly the kind of flavour you want here.

You could also make your own vegan feta if you prefer more complete control over the ingredients. A homemade almond feta-style recipe is a lovely option if you have a little more time.

You will need...

• watermelon, cubed
• vegan feta cheese, cut into cubes or crumbled
• red onion, very thinly sliced
• cucumber, diced
• fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
• fresh lime juice
• agave syrup / maple syrup
• olive oil
• salt
• black pepper

For exact quantities see the recipe card below.

Instructions

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📖 Recipe

Ali's Tips For How To Pick The Perfect Watermelon

For the best results, choose a watermelon that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy yellow field spot, which is the patch where it has rested on the ground. A juicy watermelon makes all the difference in this recipe because the sweet, cool freshness is what balances the salty combo from the vegan feta.

A large watermelon is useful if you're making this for summer potlucks or a bigger family dinner, but for this recipe you only need around 1.2kg of watermelon flesh. Any extra watermelon can be kept for smoothies, fruit salads or a favourite snack the next day.

Variations and Substitutions

You can swap lime juice for lemon juice if that's what you have in the fridge. Lime gives the dressing a brighter, slightly tropical flavour, while lemon juice makes it a little softer and more classic.

For a tangy lime dressing, keep the recipe as written. For something a little deeper and sweeter, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze just before serving. Red wine vinegar also works well if you want the dressing to have more of a savoury edge.

Fresh basil is a lovely addition alongside the mint. It works especially well if you are serving this with pasta salad, grilled vegetables or a Mediterranean-style summer meal.

Some non-vegan versions of fruity salads use goat cheese or salty feta cheese, but vegan feta cheese is the best plant-based swap here because it gives the same salty combination without dairy.

Optional ingredients include diced avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, pistachios, rocket, chopped tomatoes, chilli flakes or a little extra cucumber. An English cucumber works beautifully because it is crisp, mild and refreshing.

Ali's Serving Suggestions

This delicious watermelon salad is best served cold, either straight after making or after chilling for up to an hour. It's one of my favourite ways to make a summer table look bright and colourful without putting in much effort.

Serve it with veggie burgers, grilled tofu, vegan sausages, couscous, flatbreads, pasta salad or a big picky tea. It also works really well as part of a summer menu with hummus, olives, roasted vegetables and crusty bread.

If you're taking it to a picnic, keep the dressing in a mason jar and pour it over just before serving. A slotted spoon is handy too, as watermelon naturally releases a little juice once it has been cut.

Storage

This salad is best served fresh, as watermelon releases liquid once it has been cut and dressed. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.

It will still taste good the next day, but the texture will be softer and there will be more liquid at the bottom of the container. Give it a gentle stir before serving, or use a slotted spoon.

This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

This Vegan Feta and Watermelon Mint Salad Recipe is fresh, colourful and exactly the sort of dish I want on the table during summer. The juicy watermelon, crisp cucumber, red onion, fresh herbs and salty vegan feta cheese make the most wonderful flavour combination, while the tangy lime dressing pulls everything together without making the salad feel heavy.

It's simple, quick, naturally refreshing and perfect for hot summer days, whether you're making it for a family dinner, summer potlucks or an easy side dish to go with veggie burgers.

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope that you love this watermelon mint salad recipe, and if you do please give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment. Also if you could share this recipe with your friends and family and on social media that would mean the world!

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Or these other recipes containing watermelon - what a great fruit!