This Vegan Watermelon Salad is beyond refreshing, simple to throw together, and the absolute perfect addition to any meal on a hot summer day. This salad is loaded with flavorful, hydrating ingredients like watermelon, strawberry, cucumber and lime and is vegan and paleo-friendly.
In this vegan watermelon salad you will find some of my favorite summer ingredients. That may be because I have had every one of the ingredients in this salad in margarita form, which just feels very summery to me.
This salad is loaded with hydrating, nutrient dense foods like cucumber, watermelon, strawberry, jalapeño and lime juice. It is so fresh and satisfying when the weather is hot and you are spending some time in the sun.
This recipe is the perfect thing to bring to backyard BBQ's, beach day picnics or just pair with some grilled protein on a weeknight when it is too hot to turn on the stove. Usually you find feta in a summery watermelon salad, which is also delish. I left out the dairy in this salad to make it lighter, more refreshing and dairy-free.
How To Make This Watermelon Salad
This watermelon salad is so simple and will take less than 15 minutes to pull together. Here's how to do it:
- Wash the rind of a mini seedless watermelon with mild soap and warm water. Rinse off. You are going to want to cut the melon into cubes. Do this by cutting the watermelon in quarters. Place each quarter with a flat side down and cut from the inside in about 1 inch pieces. Then remove the rind and slice into 1 inch cubes. Add to a large bowl.
- Rinse the strawberries and slice, throwing out the tops. Add to the bowl.
- Cut the English cucumber into thin slices and toss in the bowl. No need to peel.
- Remove the seeds from the jalapeno. Slice thinly and add to mix.
- Prepare the basil by rolling the leaves and then slicing to produce shreds. Toss it in.
- Mix together the ingredients for the dressing (lime juice, agave and salt) and pour over the cut produce. Stir together and serve with an ice cold beverage in a lawn chair.
How To Store This Recipe
This salad will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It will be safe to eat for longer than that but the produce will become less turgid and lose color.
This salad is a very quick recipe so there really is not need to make ahead of time. Making the day of and serving immediately is best for quality.
Possible Substitutions
- Agave - I prefer honey is this recipe because I do not follow a vegan diet and honey is something I regularly have in my house. If you don't have agave on hand and you don't include honey in your diet you can just skip the sweetener all together. The recipe will just have a bit more tang to it but still be very delicious.
- Basil - Basil is my favorite herb and pairs so well with cucumber and strawberry. If your garden is teeming with mint, use it up! You can use a combination of the two or use all mint and still have an incredibly refreshing pairing.
- Lime Juice - An easy and obvious substitution for lime juice would be lemon juice! Bottled juice instead of fresh would work fine in a pinch.
- Jalapeño - You can skip the jalapeno if you have an aversion to spice or just don't like them.
Related Recipes
Did you try this Vegan Watermelon Salad? I would love to see your creations! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or leave a photo comment on Pinterest.
Feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. Feedback is always appreciated! 😊
📖 Recipe
Vegan Watermelon Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large salad bowl
- Whisk
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Mini seedless watermelon About 6 cups diced
- 16 ounces Strawberries Sliced with tops removed
- ½ Large English cucumber About 1 cup sliced
- 1 Jalapeno (omit for AIP) Optional
- ½ cup Basil Shredded
- 1 Lime Juiced
- 1 tbsp Agave Or preferably honey if not vegan
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Slice the watermelon into 1-inch rounds and then cut into cubes removing the rind. Slice ½ of a large English cucumber into thin rounds, about ⅛ inch thick. Slice the strawberries into rounds, discarding the tops. Thinly slice the jalapeno and discard the top.
- Combine all the produce in a large salad bowl and stir.
- Shred the basil by layering the basil leaves on top of one another and then rolling the leaves from top to bottom. Slice along the rolled leaves and add to the salad bowl.
- In a small bowl, juice the lime and whisk together the lime juice, agave (or honey) and salt. Pour on top of contents of the salad bowl and stir together.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy.
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