Watermelon Mint Salad

This is not your basic fruit salad—yummy as they are—but it is pretty basic to make. It requires just five ingredients to assemble a mint watermelon salad that will look great and taste even better.

This sweet and refreshing melon salad is irresistible on a hot day, especially when you’re grilling burgers and dogs. But we do have to give you a heads up: It will become your family’s go-to summer treat, so make a big batch for your next family gathering or potluck, or just enjoy a portion yourself when you want a cool snack.

Ingredients for Watermelon Mint Salad

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• Watermelon: You’ll want 6 cups of seedless watermelon cut into bite-sized cubes. Be sure to remove all that tough rind!
• Fresh mint: This is one of those times when a dried herb just won’t cut it. You need fresh mint for this minted watermelon salad recipe.
• Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes this watermelon and mint salad much more lively, but bottled is fine if that’s what you have.
• Olive oil: Perhaps you didn’t expect to see olive oil drizzled over fresh melon? It may sound wacky, but trust us on this one!
• Sugar: Who doesn’t love a bit of added sweetness? The sugar makes this a dessert-level treat.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the melon and mint

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Place the chopped watermelon and mint in a serving bowl.

Step 2: Make the dressing

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In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 3: Dress the salad and enjoy!

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Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then toss it gently to combine.

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Watermelon Mint Salad Variations

• Skip the sugar: Many people choose to leave the sugar out of the dressing, especially if their watermelon is at peak ripeness and sweetness, so consider it an option.
• Add some cayenne: A light sprinkling of cayenne pepper over the salad, added after it’s dressed, adds some welcome heat and interest to this sweet salad.
• Toss in some pineapple: Following this same recipe with about a third of the watermelon replaced with pineapple makes for a sweet and tangy tropical fruit salad.

How to Store Watermelon Mint Salad

Once you make this recipe for watermelon salad, it will keep well in the fridge overnight, but after that it will start to grow mushy. It’s really best prepared fresh, but if you need to store it, do so in an airtight container overnight and drain off any extra juice.

Watermelon Mint Salad Tips

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How do I choose a ripe watermelon?

Look for cream-colored, yellowish or orange spots on the bottom of the watermelon, also called the “belly spot.” This spot is formed where the watermelon touched the soil while ripening, and the darker the spot, the longer it was on the vine and the more flavorful it may be. A white spot indicates the watermelon isn’t ripe.

Does this recipe work with other melons?

Not as well. It might be tempting to try a mint and cantaloupe or mint and honeydew salad, but the pairing of mint and watermelon is hard to match.

What should I serve with this mint watermelon salad?

Anything you would enjoy eating at a summer barbecue is a great pairing with this crisp and fresh salad. It’s a great counterpoint to heavy foods like steaks, brats, beans and bread.