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.
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.
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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 needed
- 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.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Roughly chop the kale, wash well and put in a large bowl.
Two: Add the olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to the kale and mix well.
Three: Add the watermelon and feta and gently mix.
Four: Serve in to a bowl and top with the crumbled pecans.
Health benefits of watermelon
Watermelon is a fruit with lots of health benefits. Firstly, it is a great way to stay hydrated in the summer as it is 92% water. Fruits that have a high water content will help you to stay fuller for longer too.
As well as being low in calories, watermelon is also high in vitamins C and A, which are great for skin and hair health. This watermelon feta salad is bursting with goodness.
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.
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.
What to serve it with
This is a delicious side salad and a great way to really add some freshness to a meal. Here are some of our favourite mains to serve this watermelon feta salad with:
- Honey and Mustard Salmon
- Spanish Bean Stew
- Perfect Roast Chicken
- Homemade Fish Fingers
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Baked Chicken Burger
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Easy Chicken Traybake
FAQs
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 in to 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.
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 salad recipes
If you’ve tried this watermelon salad recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Kale, Feta and Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
- 100 g Curly kale - chopped
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 0.5 Lemon - (juice only)
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 10 Pecans - crumbled
- 280 g watermelon - diced
- 60 g Feta
Instructions
- Roughly chop the kale, wash well and put in a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to the kale and mix well.
- Add the watermelon and feta and gently mix.
- Serve in to a bowl and top with the crumbled pecans.
Notes
- 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 in to 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.
Sus // roughmeasures.com
Loving this salad, the watermelon is making me crave hot, sunny days!
Christie
What a delicious combination of flavors. I can just imagine how good the feta cheese was in Greece.
Ali @ Home & Plate
What a healthy side dish. Watermelons are so sweet right now and this would pair beautifully with kale and crunchy pecans and feta. Perfect for any summer bbq.
Anna @AnnaTheApple
A massive thumbs up for this. I ADORE feta and ADORE watermelon. I love summer purely because watermelons taste AMAZING and are super cheap. Love this.
Nadia
This recipe is perfect for summer :) Watermelon is my favourite fruit ever! Used to eat so much of it growing up. They tend to be so small and expensive in the UK and they don't taste as good as the ones we had in the Middle East.
Bella
Could this be made in advance? The night before a BBQ for example?
Not only do I love your recipes, but I love how you focus on building a positive relationship with food and talking about happy food memories.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
I could do with this right now. I love watermelon and feta together, never thought to add it to kale too.
Marianela
I LOVE Watermelons. Such a refreshing and healthy recipe =) Thanks so much for sharing!
David @ Spiced
Laura ate watermelon like it was her job last summer! Some women crave pickles and ice cream (really...or is that just a rumor?), but Laura craved watermelon. We seriously ate a huge watermelon once a week last summer! But somehow we never added feta to it. I need to make this happen this summer. Yum!
Laura ~ RYG
Watermelon is the best. So I haven't been the biggest feta fan in the past but you're convincing me to try it again.
Sarah, Things Sarah Loves
I use feta with everything and it tastes so good in salads - definitely my favourite cheese. I'm not keen on watermelon but I'm going to give this a go because it sounds like it could be a great combination!
Priya
Such a refreshing and healthy salad! perfect for this summer..
Jude Dunn
That looks delicious, I love watermelon and Feta but I have to confess I have never tried Kale, I really need to give it a go :)
kate @ VeggieDesserts
This salad sounds so quick, easy, healthy and refreshing!
Sarah Ella (Mumx3x)
I love water melon and it really a great way to stay hydrated! And they're so refreshing too. This salad sounds so tasty, I'm going to try it, it would be great for a BBQ! Thank you for sharing xx
Bel James
This recipe is perfect because I like salad and watermelon since I am familiar with eating them separately. I guess this salad is something new for me to try and to prepare. If pecans and feta cheese are not available, is it okay to use other nuts and cheese for this recipe?
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I'm loving watermelon right now. My favorite is watermelon chunks with feta cheese and basil. The recipe calls for mint, but I never have that around. So, basil it is and it's delicious. Also, did you know you can grill watermelon (big chunks obviously). I have been meaning to try it.
Thanks for the recipe !
Willow
I could eat all of that right now. All I want to eat is salads at the moment, I just don't have an appetite for anything else.
Ina
I am going to make this tonight. I sounds perfect for this crazy weather we are having.
Emma
We are having a bbq at the weekend, so this has come just in time. Thank you and thanks for all your lovely recipes.