Refreshing, sweet, and crowd-pleasing Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Mint. Enjoyed by kids and adults alike with 6 simple ingredients, this 10 minute salad is not to be missed!
* This post is in partnership and sponsored by Half Your Plate Canada. All opinions remain my own (because I truly do love fruits and vegetables).
Another year goes by where I had the privilege to attend the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Trade Show. You might remember my post from last year on How to Build a Kid-Friendly Salad.
This year, I’m back after learning so much about GMOs, Organic farming practices, and how much produce is made available up here in Canada thanks to farmers in the USA. Watermelon, peanuts, dates, and wine are all made more accessible to Canadians thanks to the importation of produce that we wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
I love attending the CPMA Trade Show to see what’s being worked on and hoping that it eventually makes its way into consumers lives. Or having produce available to us Canadians even if it is out of seasonality.
Avocados are always going to be an import for us up North here. BUT, items like strawberries, watermelon and many nuts are available during Canada’s off-season of these items.
This makes eating well with fruits and vegetables a little easier. Especially as a parent. Strawberries and avocados are staples in most young family households as nutritious items kids love.
I’ve come to rely on strawberries most of the year for preschool snacks. Melons, avocados, and even popcorn when we need a little refresh during the longer winter months.
I’m also excited to share more on Half Your Plate Canada’s platform. What could be more simple than sharing half your plate with fruits and vegetables? It won’t take long before the entire family is earning for salad with dinner or eager to try new vegetables.
I know as I parent I try not to let my setbacks in the vegetable department hold my kids back. This means being more experimental with food that I normally wouldn’t love myself. It’s been a great eye-opener to see what they (and I) love.
I served this Watermelon Salad with this Broccoli and Goat’s Cheese Orzo Pasta, even though that pasta is packed with broccoli, there’s always room for a delicious salad to fill up the remainder of our plates with more vegetables and fruit.
This Watermelon Salad is also a perfect gateway to getting kids onboard with more veggies. Most kids like watermelon and adding in some cucumber (and mint for some extra green bits) is a great way to ease kids into vegetables more.
If you have a totally anti-green kid I’d recommend serving this first and making sure this gets gobbled up before anything else hits the table.
The dressing is crazy simple that you might think I’m trying to pull one over. But I’m not. Lime juice brings so many fruits and vegetables alive and pairs really well with cucumber that not much else is needed.
How to pick a watermelon:
Grocery shopping can be confusing enough and a workout for all the senses. From finding firmness of fruits and vegetables to ensuring they still have appropriate scents, finding produce at its peak can be easy if you know what to look for.
I always look for a bigger yellow (more of a warm buttery yellow) splotch and I knock on the watermelon to ensure it has a hollow sound to it. Another good test is to pick up a few of the watermelons and guess which one is heavier. Usually heaviness means juicier watermelon.
Refreshing, sweet, and crowd-pleasing Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Mint. Enjoyed by kids and adults alike with 6 simple ingredients, this 10 minute salad is not to be missed!
- 1 mini seedless watermelon, rind removed and chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 1 medium long English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 75 grams feta cheese, crumbled (around 1/2 cup)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice*
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint**
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Add watermelon and cucumber to a large bowl or serving dish. Toss to combine.
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Top with feta and drizzle all over with lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and garnish with mint.
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Serve immediately or placed covered in refrigerator for up to 2 hours (any longer and the watermelon will release too much liquid).
* don't have any limes in the fridge? Lemons work here too. We do prefer watermelon and lime together, but don't let 1 tbsp of lime juice hold you back.
** dill is a wonderful replacement if you don't have any mint or your family doesn't like it.
Enjoy! xo
