This watermelon cucumber salad is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy flavors, featuring juicy watermelon, refreshing cucumber, vegan feta, and crispy ciabatta croutons all tossed in a simple lime mint dressing. It’s light, refreshing, and just perfect for hot summer days!
Why This Recipe Works
This vibrant and refreshing watermelon cucumber salad is one of my favorite summer recipes. We’ve made it so many times and it’s always a real crowd-pleaser.
I just love the combination of juicy watermelon, crunchy cucumber, tangy vegan feta, and crispy pan-fried ciabatta croutons, all tossed in a zesty dressing of mint, lime juice, and olive oil. It’s a light, flavorful, and satisfying salad that will leave you feel refreshed and energized.
It’s kind of a combination of traditional watermelon salad and panzanella, Italian bread salad. The crispy pan-fried ciabatta definitely takes this salad to the next level. Freshly prepared, the bread is super crispy and perfectly soaks up the dressing and the flavors of the other ingredients. Unfortunately, the bread gets soggy rather quickly, so this salad is best served fresh.
For me, this watermelon cucumber salad is the ultimate summer salad as it’s bursting with flavor. The juicy watermelon provides a refreshing and hydrating base, while the crunchy cucumber adds a pleasant texture. The vegan feta adds a tangy and creamy touch and the crispy pan-fried ciabatta cubes bring a delightful crunch.
For the dressing, I used a simple yet flavorful combination of fresh mint, zesty lime juice, and olive oil that goes great with the other ingredients. All in all, this salad is the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
So if you’re looking for a light lunch, or a crowd-pleasing summer salad for BBQs and picnics, you just have to try our watermelon cucumber salad! Trust me, it’s one of those recipes that will leave you craving for more.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Watermelon
- Cucumber – English cucumber.
- Ciabatta – or other rustic bread. You could also use baguette.
- Lime – fresh lime juice.
- Olive Oil – use organic extra virgin olive oil.
- Mint – fresh mint.
- Pine Nuts – for the perfect taste, toast them in a frying pan without oil until fragrant and golden.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Cut the ciabatta into cubes.
2. Step: Dice the cucumber and the vegan feta.
3. Step: Also cut the watermelon in cubes.
4. Step: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and pan-fry the ciabatta cubes.
5. Step: Squeeze the lime and finely chop the mint.
6. Step: Place the pine nuts in a frying pan without oil and toast them over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir them frequently until they’re golden. Make sure not to toast them for too long as they burn easily.
7. Step: Place all ingredients in a bowl. Add the olive oil, chopped mint, and lime juice and stir well.
8. Step: Let the salad sit for about 10-15 minutes until the ciabatta bread has soaked up the dressing but is still crunchy.
Tips & Tricks
- Leave out the ciabatta croutons if you’re making this salad ahead or if you’re not going to eat it within 1 hour after making it. The bread will get soggy rather quickly.
- Toasting the pine nuts intensifies their flavor and aroma. They burn very easily, so stay close by.
Storing
I recommend eating the salad soon after making it. Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, but the bread will get soggy. I would only store it half a day.
Variations
- Lighter Version – for a lighter version, leave out the ciabatta and the vegan feta.
- Tomatoes – add 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes.
- Basil – replace the amount of fresh mint with basil. Or use a combination of the two herbs.
- Onion – add one thinly sliced red onion for extra flavor and zing.
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I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this watermelon cucumber salad as much as we do around here.
If you give them a try, I’d love to know what you think about them. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- 1 kitchen knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 large bowl
- 1 spoon
- 1 frying pan
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1/2 medium-sized watermelon (about 21 oz)
- 1 English cucumber
- 5 oz store-bought vegan feta
- 3 cups ciabatta bread, cubed
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 sprigs mint, finely chopped
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the ciabatta into cubes.
- Dice the cucumber and the vegan feta.
- Also cut the watermelon in cubes.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and pan-fry the ciabatta cubes.
- Squeeze the lime and finely chop the mint.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl. Add the olive oil, chopped mint, and lime juice and stir well.
- Let the salad sit for about 10-15 minutes until the ciabatta bread has soaked up the dressing but is still crunchy.
Notes
- Leave out the ciabatta croutons if you’re making this salad ahead or if you’re not going to eat it within 1 hour after making it. The bread will get soggy rather quickly.
- Toasting the pine nuts intensifies their flavor and aroma. They burn very easily, so stay close by.
- I recommend eating the salad soon after making it. Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, but the bread will get soggy. I would only store it half a day.
Nutrition
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