Yellow Watermelon Salad with Mint

Looking for a quick refreshing summer salad that packs a punch? You can’t go wrong with our 3-ingredient Yellow Watermelon Salad with Mint!

Why I Love Yellow Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

This is an old school salad which many of us have had in the past. It’s super easy. I mean, it’s a 3-ingredient salad! It’s so affordable and so refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

But by substituting the red watermelon with the yellow flesh watermelon, I continue to get surprised reactions when I’m entertaining.

The first thing my guests always assume is that I’ve put feta on pineapple (mmm… not a bad thought. On the test kitchen list!)

When I tell them its watermelon, most of them don’t believe me. When they try it, they’re bemused and happy to have discovered something new. It’s always such a talking point which makes for a great conversation starter amongst friends.

What is Yellow Watermelon?

Yellow flesh watermelon or Champagne watermelon is just one of many varieties of the fruit (or vegetable, depending who you ask as it’s a member of the cucumber family known as the Cucurbitaceae).

Growing up in Malaysia, yellow watermelon was a staple fruit in our household. How I missed it when I moved to Australia. It wasn’t until the last few years that it has become a readily available, albeit seasonal, watermelon option in some of our supermarkets.

Does Yellow Watermelon Taste Different?

The yellow meat watermelon is slightly sweeter than the normal red crimson watermelons. They also have a tinge of honey in its flavour which makes it so unique.

It’s incredible what watermelon pairs well with. Check out our list for some inspiration.

Is Yellow Watermelon More Expensive?

Not in Australia it isn’t. It is the same price as a normal red fleshed watermelon.

Which is just another reason why  I choose to buy this variety as opposed to the red watermelon as we have done in our Best Watermelon Salad with Maple Syrup Dressing and Yellow Doll Watermelon Salad with Bocconcini.

How to Make the Yellow Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

Cut the Yellow Watermelon

Cut the yellow meat watermelon into bite size chunks.

There is no right or wrong way of doing this. I do tend to cut them into smaller pieces if the kids will be around. Just makes it easier for them to pick it up without having to worry about cutting it done further.

Crumble the Feta

Not all feta is created equal.

I will always have a preference for Greek feta. Greek feta is made up of at least 70% sheep’s milk, with goat’s milk often making up the other 30%.

Greek feta to me is great for salads as it is salty, dry and most importantly crumbly. So, when I do crumble the feta, it pulls apart beautifully, creating lovely flutters of joy to go on top of the salad.

The smoother feta like the Danish feta, which is made from cow’s milk, doesn’t crumble well. Due to its creamy texture, I tend to squash it too much when I’m trying to pull them apart. And besides, it’s just not authentic enough for me for this recipe.

Australian feta is the same, by the way. Also made from cow’s milk and is classified as a soft cheese. Not suitable for this salad.

Tearing the Mint Leaves

This pungent herb is incredibly versatile and can transform a salad.

It’s also a great herb as its easy to grow. To avoid it taking over your garden bed however, just grow it in a small pot.

Pluck the mint leaves from the soft stem. Wash and leave aside for them to dry.

If you are short on time, you can pat them gently until they are dry. It is very important that they are dry as the watermelon itself already makes it a “wet” salad if left out for too long. You don’t want the herb to add to the wetness.

I prefer to tear my mint rather than chopping them. Cutting the mint bruises them and darkens the herb. I am after a very fresh and rustic finish to the salad.

How to Dress the Salad

Place the yellow watermelon into a mixing bowl.

Drizzle a small amount of Extra Virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Very gently, stir it through without breaking the chucks or smashing them into a big pile of mush.

How to Assemble the Salad

For some reason, I find that my guests always gobble up the feta on the top layer of the salad, leaving nothing but the yellow watermelon on the bottom half. To avoid this happening, assemble the salad in 2 halves.

Place half the dressed yellow watermelon onto your serving plate. Sprinkle half the crumbled feta and hand torn mint on top of it.

Place the remaining portion of yellow watermelon on top of it and sprinkle the rest of the Greek feta and mint on top.

Give another grind of black pepper on the top as it gives it those special black speckles against the backdrop of yellow and white.

I recommend a dark coloured plate or bowl if you have one to showcase the vibrant colours.

This salad must be eaten immediately before the watermelon starts to water. This will also mean the feta won’t be as dry and crumbly.

This is an example of how you can spruce up a classic salad simply by experimenting with alternative ingredients.

You know it’s the salad you have always been eating and yet it’s transformed into something so unique. Watermelon and feta salad 2.0!

That’s all!

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