Watermelon Cucumber Corn Salad

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Summer is the season for fruit in savory salads. Whether it’s a watermelon peach salad or a stone fruit salad, there’s something so good about the contrast of sweet fruit with fresh vegetables. 

Grilled corn gives the salad more flavor and good bite. That’s what makes this watermelon cucumber salad different than other recipes. 

This is a no-lettuce salad that’s actually good as leftovers. You can let it sit in the fridge for a couple days, and it will keep its freshness all while the flavors develop and the ingredients meld together even more.

The Ingredients

This is what you beed

• Watermelon: I usually buy a mini seedless watermelon because they’re easier to handle and cut. One that’s about 4-1/2 pounds will give you enough for the salad. To save prep time, you can buy cut watermelon.  
• Cucumbers: I prefer English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers because their skin is more thin and they have less seeds than regular cucumbers.
• Corn: Look for ears of corn that are tightly wrapped in their husks, so the kernels aren’t dried out. The silk threads at the top should be damp. 
• Scallions have mild green onion flavor. You can substitute with finely chopped red onions. 
• Cilantro is a love-it or hate-it herb. If you aren’t a fan, you can use chopped basil and mint, which also work with melon recipes including these grilled watermelon slices.
• Feta: Salty crumbled feta cheese balances the sweetness of the watermelon and the cool cucumbers.
• Lime dressing: Because the salad ingredients are already juicy, I don’t make a full salad dressing or vinaigrette. This combination of lime, juice, olive oil and black pepper is enough to add something zesty to finish the salad.

How To Make This Watermelon Cucumber Corn Salad

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.

1. Prep the watermelon. Put it in a colander and sprinkle it with kosher salt. This helps to pull out some of the juice from the fruit.

2. Grill the corn. Rub the ears with oil. Then grill them until the kernels are charred. This will take about 5-7 minutes. When the corn is cool enough to handle, slice off the kernels.

3. Make the dressing. Whisk the lime juice, olive oil and pepper in a small bowl.

4. Assemble the salad ingredients including the watermelon, grilled corn, cucumbers, scallions, cilantro and feta in a big bowl.

5. Pour the dressing into the salad. Toss to combine. 

Serving

While you have the grill fired up, you can serve this salad with these tofu shawarma skewers, this grilled vegetable pesto sandwich or these grilled cabbage steaks. You can also pair it with grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp.