This healthy recipe for watermelon cucumber and feta salad is a summer favorite! It's a refreshing salad with a zesty dressing that uses feta cheese. I love to make this side dish the day before so it's cold and ready to serve.

One of my favorite parts of summer is fresh watermelon! This recipe combines the watermelon, the delicious cucumbers that are in season and has a zesty dressing that makes it a sweet and savory side dish option.

If you are looking for watermelon recipes you might also enjoy my Watermelon Lemonade or this Easy Frozen Watermelon Margarita Mocktail recipes.

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Ingredients

• Seedless Watermelon
• English Cucumbers
• Feta Cheese
• Shallot
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest
• Olive Oil
• Dried Thyme
• Sea Salt
• Coarse Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

In a large serving bowl combine the cubed watermelon, chopped cucumber, feta cheese and finely diced shallot.

In a small bowl or pint jar add the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour the dressing over the watermelon mixture. Stir to combine.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve cold.

Hint: I like to make this salad the day before so it's really cold and ready to serve with our meal. Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator overnight or up to 5 days.

Substitutions

• Honey Dew Melon - you can also make this salad with honey dew melon or a mixture with the watermelon
• Lime Juice - you can substitute lime juice for the lemon juice in this recipe
• Lime Zest - you can substitute lime zest for the lemon zest in this recipe
• Avocado Oil - you can replace the olive oil with avocado oil or a mixture of that's what you have
• Queso Fresco Cheese - you can crumble queso fresco into the salad rather than using feta cheese

Variations

• Spicy - add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give this salad a little kick
• Deluxe - add a mixture watermelon, honey dew and golden melon

Supplies

Storage

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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FAQ

This easy recipe for chopped wedge layer salad is made with chopped iceberg lettuce and ranch dressing. It is a healthy option for parties and barbecues. This is the best wedge salad variation made without blue cheese.

Wedge salads are a popular light meal and this option makes them easy to serve to a crowd. Instead of individual wedges of iceberg lettuce it is chopped and layered. I used my Gluten Free Homemade Ranch to top this salad.

You may also enjoy my Gluten Free Pesto Pasta Salad, this Gluten Free BLT Pasta Salad or my Gluten Free Green Goddess Pasta Salad. All are great summer lunch options!

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Ingredients

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Black Beans
• Sweet Onion
• Roma Tomatoes
• Cheddar Cheese
• Ranch Dressing

Instructions

This is the easiest salad to put together! I've variated from a classic wedge salad and added beans, onion, tomato and cheese. You can omit any of these ingredients, but they make for a delicious salad.

I used a glass trifle serving bowl for this salad, but you could use any large serving bowl. This clear serving bowl would also be really pretty.

Simply chop up the lettuce, onion and tomato. Then drain and rinse the beans. Shred the cheddar cheese and then layer all of the ingredients into the bowl. Top with my Homemade Ranch Dressing or a dressing of your choice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Substitutions

• Black Beans - you can omit the black beans, use kidney beans or another bean of your choice to add some protein to this recipe.
• Sweet Onion - you can use a white onion, yellow onion or red onion in this recipe.
• Roma Tomatoes - vine ripened tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half would also work nicely.
• Cheddar Cheese - you can omit the cheese all together or you could substitute with Monterey Jack cheese or another variation of cheese.

Supplies

How do I prepare lettuce for a chopped wedge salad?

Remove the outer leaves and any brown spots from the head of iceberg lettuce. Cut the core and stem from the head of lettuce. Rinse the lettuce under cold water and flip with the open core facing down to let drain. Shake any excess water off.

On a cutting board cut the head of lettuce in half. Slice the half into long rows and then chop those into squares. Repeat for the second half. If there is still too much water from rinsing place the chopped lettuce in a salad spinner to dry.

Storage

The ingredients for this salad can be chopped up ahead of time. You can either store them separately in sealed containers in the refrigerator or place the lettuce, beans, onion and tomatoes in the trifle dish. Wait to add the cheese and dressing until right before serving so the salad doesn't get soggy.

Once the dressing has been added the salad is only good for a day. If you have leftovers you can place them in an air tight container in the refrigerator, but they will only be good for about 24 hours.

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This easy recipe for gluten free pesto pasta salad is a delicious summer side dish. It is a cold Italian pasta salad that uses creamy basil pesto. This healthy salad includes arugula, Cannellini beans and walnuts.

This is one of my favorite summer lunches! If you want more protein than just the beans you can add tuna fish, canned sardines or chicken breast.

If you are looking for more summer salad ideas you might also enjoy my Pineapple Coleslaw, Gluten Free BLT Pasta Salad or my Gluten Free Green Goddess Pasta Salad.

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Ingredients

• Gluten Free Elbow Pasta
• Basil Pesto
• Cannellini Beans
• Baby Arugula
• Parmesan Cheese
• Sea Salt
• Coarse Ground Black Pepper
• Walnuts

Can you use pesto straight from the jar?

Yes, you can use pesto cold right out of the refrigerator straight from the jar or if it's a shelf stable pesto right from the cupboard and out of the jar. You will want to stir the pesto if any oil has risen to the top.

Substitutions

• Elbow Noodles - you can use any gluten free pasta in this salad. I like the size of the elbow noodles, but penne, rotini or shells would also work nicely.
• Basil Pesto - I love the flavor of basil pesto and find it easy to purchase at my local grocery story. However, you can use whatever basil you would like.
• Walnuts - you could omit the walnuts for a nut free version of this salad, but I like the crunch they add.
• Baby Arugula - you can replace this with spinach if you like.

Is basil pesto gluten free?

There are several store bought basil pestos you can purchase. I haven't seen any that state they are gluten free, but the ingredients don't include anything that contains gluten. This of course doesn't eliminate the possibility of cross contamination. I haven't had any issues using Barilla Rustic Basil Pesto Sauce.

Supplies

Storage

You can store this salad in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an air tight container. If the salad gets dry add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or a bit more pesto if you have it.

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This easy recipe for pineapple coleslaw is the perfect summer side dish! The cabbage salad is made without mayo with a spicy dressing. It goes great with pulled pork, tacos or as a side at barbecues.

This recipe is perfect for summer gatherings! It is easy to make the day before and gets even better when served cold the next day.

It pairs well with my Slow Cooker Hawaiin Pork Tenderloin or my Gluten Free Slow Cooker Hawaiin Meatballs.

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Ingredients

• Coleslaw Mix
• Fresh Pineapple
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno
• Lime Juice
• Olive Oil
• Lime Zest
• Honey
• Sea Salt
• Coarse Ground Black Pepper

How do you keep coleslaw from getting soggy?

This recipe uses pre-made coleslaw mix that shouldn't release a lot of water like using fresh cabbage will. If you are going to use cabbage that you chop yourself you will want to chop it, place it in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix the cabbage and salt and then let stand for 15-20 minutes and then rise the salt off.

Salting your cabbage will release moisture that would otherwise be released when you added dressing to your coleslaw. After rinsing the salt off the cabbage use a salad spinner to remove excess water.

Again, if you are using coleslaw mix you can skip this step.

What is coleslaw dressing made of?

For this recipe I used lime juice, olive oil, lime zest, honey, salt and pepper. It makes the salad light and zesty. The dressing makes this salad perfect for a pulled pork side dish, to serve on fish tacos or as a barbecue side dish.

Substitutions

• Coleslaw Mix - instead of using a pre-made mix you can cut up a head of cabbage, but be sure to follow the steps above if you make this substitution.
• Fresh Pineapple - you can use drained pineapple chunks, but the salad won't have as much flavor. I highly recommend using fresh pineapple.
• Olive Oil - you can substitute avocado oil if that's what you have.

Is coleslaw healthy for you?

Yes, this recipe is a really healthy coleslaw to serve. Cabbage has vitamin A and pineapple has vitamin C. This version is a bit lighter because it is made without mayonnaise. Making your own dressing also eliminates preservatives you would find in store bought versions.

Supplies

Storage

You can make this salad a day in advance before serving. Be sure to store in your refrigerator in an air tight container. This slaw recipe will last 3-5 days stored in your fridge.

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