If you're looking for summer captured in a single salad, this watermelon basil salad with cucumber and mozzarella is it. It's the perfect balance of sweet, savory, crunchy, soft and everything you could ever want out of a watermelon salad recipe.

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This watermelon, mozzarella, basil and balsamic salad will be on repeat this summer.

Give me all the in-season produce. You could grow this salad in your own yard if you really wanted to, or you can just go to your local grocery store and buy everything in-season and full of flavor. It's such a great way to incorporate summer produce into one easy salad recipe.

Mozzarella can do no wrong, in my opinion. It's so simple, yet so delicious. With the sweetness of the watermelon, the tartness of the onion, and then the slight bitterness of the balsamic glaze, the mozzarella pearls are such a great base to really even out all the flavors and bring a certain richness to the salad.

It’s perfect for an easy summer lunch or a bbq salad side dish. This watermelon basil salad recipe is so easy to whip together and it goes perfectly with any BBQ or it makes for a great salad to have for lunch!

Do watermelon and basil go together?

Yes! Watermelon and basil recipes are some of my absolute favorites. They pair so well with one another.

What do you need for this summer watermelon salad recipe? 

This recipe is super simple when it comes to ingredients, here's what you need to make this summer watermelon salad.

Watermelon. Of course, you need watermelon! You can buy it pre-cut if you really want to save time, or buy a whole watermelon and cut anywhere from ¼ - ½ of it into bite-sized cubes.

Mini Cucumbers. You might see these named Persian Cucumbers. I like using Persian cucumbers in salads because, as you may see, they are mini, so much easier to cut and instead of using half a cucumber and saving it for later, you can just 2 whole mini cucumbers.

Fresh Mozzarella Pearls. I prefer to use mozzarella pearls in this summer salad recipe mainly because I am already chopping the cucumbers, watermelon, onions and basil, it's nice to have one ingredient that I can just open and throw right in there. If you prefer to use a mozzarella log or larger pieces, just make sure you cut them into bite-sized bits.

Red Onion. To counteract the sweetness and freshness of both the watermelon and cucumber, I like to add red onion. However, I rinse the red onion slices in cold water before adding them. That removes that real tart and over-powering onion flavor and leaves you with a nice crunch and a hint of onion.

Fresh Basil. You absolutely need fresh, not dried, basil for this recipe. This is a great time to use some picked from your summer herb garden if you have one!

How do you make watermelon and basil salad?

Other than some chopping, it's so easy to whop together this watermelon salad recipe.

1. Dice your watermelon into bite-sized chunks, and add to your bowl.
2. Slice your Persian cucumbers and add to your bowl.
3. Thinly slice your red onion, rinse with cold water, drain and add to your bowl.
4. Add your mozzarella pearls.
5. Wash and slice your fresh basil, and add to your bowl.
6. Mix together and serve with balsamic reduction! You could also eat it plain, that's how I've been eating mine.

What dressing goes on watermelon salad?

I prefer balsamic dressing or a balsamic reduction. With watermelon and cucumbers, the balsamic reduction gets watered down to the perfect thickness, whereas balsamic dressing is already pretty runny.

How long is watermelon good after you cut it?

Watermelon is good for three to four days after you cut it, and the same goes for this salad.

Here are some helpful Amazon kitchen finds.

Other commonly asked questions

What herbs go well with watermelon? 

Other than basil I love watermelon and mint recipes. You could easily swap the basil for mint in this one!

What cheese goes well with watermelon?

Outside of mozzarella, I love pairing watermelon and feta or watermelon and parmesan go great. You have to have the real parmesan though, sorry, Kraft.

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What does watermelon salad go with?

• Brats in the Air Fryer
• Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
• Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
• Cast Iron Skillet Burgers