Simple Watermelon and Herb Salad (3 Ways)

This simple watermelon and herb salad is equally refreshing and flavorful – the perfect summer snack or side dish to enjoy 3 different ways.

If there’s anything I’m NOT doing in the summertime, it’s slaving over the stove or turning on the oven.

When the hot weather settles in, I refuse to cook anything I can’t make on the grill outside or chop up and eat fresh.

Simple, fresh salads are my go-to in the summer to keep things light, refreshing, and oh-so-easy.

Not to mention, my garden is overflowing with fresh herbs and summer vegetables that are begging to be eaten, so quick chop-n-go salads are a must, and this one is at the top of my list.

As its name implies, this salad is really simple: watermelon, fresh herbs, and an optional dressing.

However, the flavors are anything but simple since I go far beyond the traditional basil and mint.

I give you the bare bones for this “recipe”, plus two additional ways to elevate it for any easy summer side dish or snack.

Happy summer feasting!

Why You’ll Love This Simple Watermelon and Herb Salad

• The summer demands simple recipes that highlight the beautiful and plentiful harvests of the season. This elegant salad makes the most of its simple ingredients giving you the perfect taste of summer in every bite. Simply enjoy it as is or use one of my variations as inspiration to incorporate other ingredients into the mix.
• Fresh herbs are a watermelon’s best friend. The juicy, sweet, and slightly floral flavor of watermelon is a perfect supporting base for a long list of herbs that go far beyond just mint and basil. This is a great recipe for using your leftover herbs or experimenting with the more “untraditional” ones.
• This truly is an anytime-of-day salad. It’s great served with breakfast, as a refreshing snack or side dish for lunch and dinner, or as a beautiful and easy addition to your next summer BBQ menu.

It’s no secret that the secret ingredient to dishes like this is homegrown herbs – there’s nothing like it. Check out my post to start growing your own herbs today, no matter your space or growing experience.

Ingredients

Watermelon – Did you know that watermelon is one of the highest sources of lycopene? It’s a powerful antioxidant that can boost your immune system and protect you from a long list of diseases. Not only is watermelon ridiculously hydrating, but it also contains an impressive amount of potassium, so when you consume it (sprinkled with a little flaky sea salt), you’re maintaining a healthy electrolyte balance.

Fresh Herbs – Traditionally, basil or mint are the complimentary herbs of choice with watermelon, but I challenge you to think beyond the typical summer herbs (especially if you’re growing some of them yourself). I love a wide variety of tender, leafy herbs in this salad like dill, cilantro, parsley, and lemon balm (all containing endless health-boosting benefits). Mix and match these with the ever-lovely basil and mint for a homerun summer salad.

Simple Dressing – This “dressing” is completely optional since the watermelon and fresh herbs are perfectly delicious all on their own. If you’d like to spruce up the simplicity a bit, try my combination of honey, lemon juice, and olive oil to send this salad over the top.

Tips for picking the best watermelon: make sure its stripes are dark green and well-defined, check that the rind is firm and difficult to indent with your nail, and pick the one with a big yellow field spot on one side. You can also give it a good knock – a juicer, more mature melon will sound deep and hollow.

Instructions

1. Chop the watermelon into bite-sized cubes and transfer it into a bowl.

2. Mince the fresh herbs and sprinkle on top of the watermelon.

3. Mix olive oil, honey, and lemon juice until well combined and pour on top of the salad.

4. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.

Mediterranean Watermelon and Herb Salad

My favorite way to bulk up this salad for special occasions (or for a simple “mom lunch”) is to add in a few Mediterranean-inspired ingredients. It’s a little savory, a little sweet, and a little salty – the ultimate combo.

Yes! Those are olives sprinkled on top of watermelon!

This Mediterranean watermelon salad has cubed feta, halved Kalamata olives, and thinly sliced red onion.

Cube or crumble the feta based on the texture you prefer. You can use either Kalamata (purple) or Castelvetrano (green) olives – both are fantastic!

If raw red onion is too much for you, try soaking the thin slices in cold water for 10-15 minutes before drying them off and adding them to the salad. Soaking them in cold water reduces some of the intense, pungent flavor.

Many herbs originated in the Mediterranean, so it’s only fair to pay homage to this dish by going big with the Mediterranean herbs like basil, mint, dill, oregano, and parsley.

If you’re olive-obsessed like me, you can spruce up the salad dressing by adding a splash of juice from the jar of olives (and thank me later).

Floral Watermelon and Herb Salad

One thing I didn’t expect to love about the garden was growing and incorporating edible flowers into recipes – they instantly make you feel fancy (even on a simple salad like this), which is why they’re perfect to use when you have company coming over or perhaps you find yourself at a summer tea party?!

If you happen to be growing a few of these flowers this season, consider adding them to this salad and any other spring or summer recipes. You might be surprised which flowers are edible.

Edible Flowers

• Marigolds
• Chamomile
• Calendula
• Lavender
• Violets
• Pansies
• Nasturtiums
• Borage
• Chive blossoms
• Violas

On my salad, I sprinkled a few marigold and calendula petals, along with whole borage flowers (the little blue ones that taste like cucumber!). The flavors of the salad will depend entirely on which edible flowers you use – which is what makes this recipe so fun!

More Summer Recipes

• Grilled Corn and Black Bean Dip

I hope you try this salad and let me know down in the comments which herbs you used!