Kale, Feta and Watermelon Salad

Diet: Gluten Free / Low Carb / Vegetarian

This Kale, Watermelon Feta Salad is refreshing, super simple and packed full of all the good stuff. With its sweet and salty combination, it's the perfect side dish for your next BBQ. We are firm believers that salads never have to be boring. If you think they are, then you aren't making them right.

A salad made up of kale, watermelon and feta cheese on a blue plate.

This might seem like a strange combination, but trust us on this one - it really works. The saltiness of the feta and the dressing pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the watermelon.

The kale makes the perfect super green base and finishing off with a sprinkle of pecans adds plenty of crunch.

Looking for more ways to get some kale in your diet? Why not try our Kale Smoothie, Air Fryer Kale, or Kale Crisps (such a delicious salty snack)?

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Why You Will Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
Step by Step Instructions
Salad Dressing
Kale Alternative
Salad Toppings
Extra Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Watermelon Recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Why You Will Love It

A delicious new salad to try
A great way to use up watermelon
Easy to adapt
A delicious BBQ side dish

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Kale - We used curly kale as it is the easiest to find in shops. You could use black kale (also known as lacinato kale or cavolo nero), or a mixture of both.
Watermelon - Try to pick a watermelon that has a yellow to dark yellow patch in the skin (this is the part of the melon that was resting on the ground while growing). This indicates the ripeness of the melon - light or no yellow patch means it isn't ripe enough. A skin that is dull, rather than shiny is preferable too. And discard if the skin has large brown patches.
Feta - A good quality feta is a must. Make sure it is labelled 'feta' rather than 'Greek salad cheese'.
Nuts - We used chopped pecans as they compliment the flavours well, however cashews or even peanuts will work well.
Dressing - We went with a simple dressing made up of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. This dressing softens the kale but lets the flavour come through.

More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.

Step by Step Instructions

A metal bowl containing chopped raw kale.

Step 1: Roughly chop the kale, wash well and put in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add the olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to the kale and mix well.

Cubed watermelon and crumbled feta added to the bowl.

Step 3: Add the watermelon and feta and gently mix.

The salad transferred to a plate with pecans scattered on top.

Step 4: Serve and top with the crumbled pecans.

Salad Dressing

You don't want anything too overpowering because the watermelon and feta are pretty strong flavours. We just used a drizzle of olive oil, some cider vinegar and lemon juice. You can add some extra sweetness with a drizzle of balsamic glaze when serving.

Kale Alternative

You might not have had kale in a salad before, but it's one of my favourite greens in a salad. It has so much more texture and bite to it than lettuce, not to mention more nutritional benefits. Plus, look at that vibrant green colour.

If you usually find raw kale chewy, then you might prefer this salad because the dressing really softens it up, especially if you leave it for 30 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

If you really aren't a fan of kale, then you could use rocket (arugula) or spinach instead.

Cubes of watermelon, crumbled feta and chopped pecans on a bed of kale leaves.

Salad Toppings

I think one of the reasons so many people think salads are boring is because they lack texture. We combat that by always adding something crunchy on top like the pecans in this watermelon and feta salad recipe.

Whilst croutons are a classic crunchy salad topping, why not change things up and go with nuts like pecans, almond flakes or cashews? You could even use seeds like sunflower, pumpkin or linseed.

Extra Tips

If you aren't a feta fan , then grilled halloumi makes a great substitution. It gives the dish much more of a meaty texture and feels more like a whole meal rather than a side dish.
Speaking of grilling, grilled watermelon is amazing. It really brings out the flavour, changes the texture and makes a great addition to this salad. Just cut the watermelon into bigger chunks/slices to that it doesn't fall through the grill.
We haven't added any herbs to this recipe, but in the past we have used fresh mint in it and it pairs beautifully with the watermelon and feta.
Another delicious addition to this salad is some olives. It gives a little bit of extra saltiness, along with the feta, that contrasts the sweetness of the watermelon.
Not got enough greens in this? Add some chunks of cucumber or celery for some added texture and to make it even more refreshing.
If you are all about the sweetness in a salad, then swap the apple cider vinegar for balsamic vinegar. Or, add a drizzle of pomegranate molasses at the end.
Add some fresh mint when serving to make this a really light summer salad.
Make this salad even chunkier by adding some diced cucumber.

A blue plate with Kale, Feta and Watermelon Salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a watermelon feta salad be made in advance?

Yes, you can chop everything up and mix it in advance and make the dressing in advance. Then, just before you are ready to serve it, mix the dressing into the salad. You don't want to add the dressing in advance, because the salad will go soggy.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day, however it is best to eat it right away because it is such a watery salad.

What other cheese can you use?

I think it's clear how much we love feta by now, but you know what we also love? Halloumi! It's a cheese that squeaks when you eat it and what's not to love about that?
Halloumi is best when grilled as it holds its flavour and has a real meaty texture to it. Add a few slices to this salad instead of feta for a filling meal.

More Watermelon Recipes

If you’ve tried this watermelon salad recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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