This Cucumber Watermelon Salad screams summer! It only takes a few minutes of hands on time and is perfect for all of your Summer cookout needs. The juicy watermelon combined with the refreshing cucumbers makes for one refreshing snack on a hot day. You can have this fun salad ready in less than 15 minutes. This is by far one of my favorite summer salads!
We love cookouts in our house! I feel like we are always going to get togethers in the summer. We like pitching in and bringing something when we can. A few of my other great summer side dishes to to bring is Gluten Free Potato Salad, Panera Inspired Popppyseed Salad, Arugula Pear Salad, Thai Pasta Salad, Gluten Free Pasta Salad, and Cucumber Apple Salad.
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Why I Love This Recipe
- This recipe is so refreshing on those hot summer days.
- It truly makes for the perfect summer dish, it is so refreshing!
- This recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, paleo, and Whole30 friendly. It can be made vegan friendly too if you do not use honey.
- It is also great for those like myself who are on a medically restrictive diet because it requires minimal ingredients. It is also great for those on a low calorie diet because this recipe is mostly watermelon and cucumbers!
- This recipe is so perfect for watermelon season. I cannot get enough of it in the summer time! It always gets rave reviews when I take it to family functions and BBQs.
Fresh Recipe Ingredients
- Seedless watermelon-I like to use a one inch cookie dough scooper or a melon baller and scoop it out. In my opinion this makes it a lot prettier too! Alternatively you can cut it out like you normally would with a watermelon. You can also use a mini watermelon or pre-cut watermelon from the grocery store.
- Fresh mint-Adds so much flavor and the smell is amazing! Chop it up real fine.
- English cucumber-I like to leave the skin on and then take a vegetable peeler and peel back the skin to make stripes on the side. This makes for a more fun look! Make sure you chose crisp cucumbers so they are not soggy in the salad. You can also use Persian cucumbers. The type of cucumber does not really matter. If the cucumber seeds bother you, you will make to make sure you buy seedless cucumbers.
- Extra virgin olive oil and lime juice-This acts as the dressing! The lime compliments the sweetness from the watermelon oh so well.
- Sea salt and black pepper-To taste if desired. Omit the pepper for AIP.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Fresh herbs-I like using fresh mint leaves for this fun dish. You can also use fresh basil.
- Red onion-I like to keep this dish pretty sweet but if you like an extra crunch and some added savory flavor to make a savory salad, you can add some chopped red onion into the mix.
- Cheese-I am dairy fee so I prefer this dish without cheese, but you can also add goat cheese, or crumbled feta to make a watermelon feta salad. You can also use vegan feta if you are dairy free like me.
- Chili flakes-If you like a little spice to your water
- Kalamata olives-Add to the savory taste of this simple salad.
- Honey-You can turn this into a honey-lime dressing by adding a little bit of honey to the lime juice and olive oil.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations. If you try something else out please let me know how it turns out in the comments below!
Recipe Instructions
Photo #1: If your watermelon is not already cubed, cube the watermelon and slice the cucumbers on a cutting board. Then, juice the limes and toss everything in a large bowl. In a small bowl, you will want to mix the extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and salt and pepper. Once the dressing is mixed, toss it in a large bowl to marinate. Then, transfer it to a large serving bowl to serve.
Chefs Tips
- Tip #1: This salad tastes best after you let it marinate for at least 3 hours, however for the best fresh flavor you will want to be sure it does not sit for more than a few days if you are taking it to an event. If you are eating it for personal consumption it is fine to eat the leftovers a few days after.
- Tip #2: While I wish watermelon was in easy all year round, make sure you make this recipe when it is in easy. There is nothing worse than buying a whole watermelon and coming home to it tasting bad. The best time of year to buy a watermelon is between May and September.
Watermelon Cucumber Salad Recipe FAQs
I like to cut it in half with a long and sharp knife. Then, I take my one inch cookie scoop and scoop it out.
This recipe lasts in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
So many things! You can have your standard BBQ food like Burgers but you can also have fish. I love serving this with my Gluten Free Shrimp Scampi dish too.
Other Gluten Free Summer Recipes You Will Love
Are you interested in a list of my go to healthy alternatives?
Download your FREE guide below.
Cucumber Watermelon Salad
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- Cookie scooper or melon scooper
Ingredients
- 1 whole watermelon Ideally seedless
- 2 whole limes juiced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper to taste, omit for AIP
- 12 chopped mint leaves
- 3 cups sliced cucumber roughly one large cucumber
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon in half with a knife. Then, scoop out the watermelon using a cookie scooper. Now, chop up the cucumber into bite size pieces and dice up the fresh mint. Mix together the dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl and then toss with the cucumbers and watermelon.
Lori says
So fresh and delicious! The cucumber and watermelon compliment each other so well. This is the perfect summer side.
Allianna Moximchalk says
So glad you love this!
Liz says
Hey there! Would love to try this recipe, but there’s no note on how much cucumber to use! Thanks!
allianna says
Thank you for letting me know! I totally forgot to add that. The recipe is updated 🙂