This Watermelon Radish Salad with Green Garlic Basil Vinaigrette highlights incredible fruits and vegetables in their peak season full of beautiful flavor, not to mention gorgeous bright colors. It’s unique and the best of what summer gives us this time of year.

A white platter next to a pink napkin full of watermelon radish salad.

Oh you guys! To say that I love this salad is an understatement!

It is the very best of what sweet and savory can offer up in partnership. The flavors and textures of this colorful salad are magical and is sure to wow anyone you make it for. When they say ‘you eat with your eyes first’, well, this just might be the poster child!

I kind of fancy myself a bit of a radish connoisseur, if you didn’t know. They are so fresh and peppery and I love them from the most simple ways – hello, high quality butter and fresh bread – to roasting them to enjoy a completely different flavor profile.

From the humble grocery store radish, to my perennial favorite French breakfast, to this stunning watermelon radish, they all have a place in my kitchen any day!

Why I love this recipe:

IT’S DIFFERENT! – This time of year there is no shortage of delicious produce. This salad presents a fun way to combine sweet and savory flavors in a new way.
NO COOKING REQUIRED – In the warmer months we’re all looking for new and interesting dishes where we don’t have to use the stove or oven – this is one of them!
YOU WILL LOVE THIS VINAIGRETTE – I am willing to wager that you are going to love this vinaigrette and will find ways to use it other dishes. It is a favorite in our house, for sure!

What Exactly is a Watermelon Radish?

A watermelon radish is an heirloom variety of daikon radish. It has a white and light green exterior and a bright pink interior, almost resembling that of a watermelon. Nest logical question: what is a daikon radish? They are predominantly large white elongated radishes, native to east Asia. Fresh and crunchy, they tend to have a milder flavor than the traditional regular radishes that many of us are used to.

An off white background with slices of watermelon radishes in rows.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this fantastic watermelon radish salad:

An overhead view of the ingredients required to make watermelon radish salad.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The ingredients to make this watermelon radish salad are relatively easy to find and readily available at most any grocery store. If you’re able, I would highly recommend grabbing anything you can at your local farmer’s market for maximum flavor.

Here are a few ingredient notes:

Watermelon radishes: These radishes are the star of this dish – definitely seek them out! If, however, you cannot find them, you can always substitute another type of radish – cherry belle, French breakfast, pink lady slipper, easter egg, purple daikon, or black – all great choices.

Melon: I have used honeydew in this recipe, as I think the flavor profile works best, but you could substitute cantaloupe, or another similar melon, if you like.

Cucumber: English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are best in this recipe, where you can leave the skin on, providing a nice contrast of color in the dish.

Feta: Use feta cheese for the pop of saltiness that it provides. Goat cheese would be delicious substitute for this salad as well.

Lime: In the vinaigrette, use lime if you can – it pairs really nicely with herbs and rice wine vinegar. Fresh lemon would work as a substitute.

Rice wine vinegar: This specific vinegar and its flavor is key in this vinaigrette and I would NOT recommend a substitute.

Let’s Make This Watermelon Radish Salad Together: STEP BY STEP

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list in the recipe card below

Steps 1 & 2:

Add the ingredients for the vinaigrette into the bowl of a food processor and blend until everything is well combined. Set aside to let the flavors come together.

An overhead view of the bowl of a food processor with ingredients to make green garlic vinaigrette for watermelon radish salad.

A food processor bowl with the blended green garlic vinaigrette for watermelon radish salad.

Steps 3 & 4:

Cut the honeydew in half and remove the seeds. Reserve one of the halves for a future use. With the remaining half, slice off the tip, and then place it large side down, on the cutting board.

Remove the skin by cutting from top to bottom, in a rounded motion, removing as little flesh as possible.

A honeydew cut in halve with the seeds being scooped out.

Half of a honeydew stood up on a cutting board with the skin being sliced off.

Steps 5 & 6:

Cut the honeydew into thin 1/4 inch slices. Then, cut the slices into triangle-shaped pieces.

Honeydew half on a cutting board being thinly sliced.

Honeydew slices cut into triangular pieces.

Steps 7 & 8:

Next, with a sharp knife or a mandoline, thinly slice the cucumbers.

A white plate full of honeydew cut into triangle shapes.

Cucumbers thinly sliced on a cutting board with a knife and a mandoline.

Steps 9 & 10:

And finally, remove the top and bottom of the radishes, and slice them with a knife or mandoline, as thin as possible.

To assemble on a serving platter, layer the honeydew pieces, and then top with radishes and cucumbers. Then drizzle everything with the vinaigrette and lastly, sprinkle with feta.

Watermelon radishes being sliced on a cutting board.

A view of a corner of a white platter full of watermelon radish salad.

Chef Natalie Marble in her home kitchen.

Natalie’s Tips

Be sure to slice everything really thin for the best texture. If you can use a mandoline that is great, but if not, a knife will do – just go slowly so you can slice thinly. And if you’re looking for a mandoline, these simple Japanese mandolines are awesome.
Don’t skip the vinaigrette – it really is the exclamation point on the dish.
This is not a salad to toss in a bowl. Be sure to lay it out flat on a platter – this ensures you get the right mix of ingredients in each bite – in addition to beautiful presentation (wink).

Storage

This salad really is best enjoyed right after it is made. If you have leftovers, you should cover it tightly in plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container so that the radishes don’t dry out, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

A fork full of watermelon radish salad over a bowl of watermelon radish salad.

What Should I Serve This With?

My favorite ways to serve this salad are as an accompaniment to any grilled or pan-roasted meats – consider this Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken. I also love to serve it for brunch alongside egg dishes, like this Asparagus and Leek Tart with Phyllo Dough.

Frequently Asked Questions for this Watermelon Radish Salad

This salad is best enjoyed right after it is made, so the best way to prepare it ahead of time is to prep the various parts and store them separately, and then assemble right before serving. The vinaigrette can be made up to a day in advance. *If you slice the radishes ahead of time, store them in cold water, covered, in the refrigerator – this will keep them fresh and crunchy.

Yes, you can. When considering a substitute, you want to be thinking about sweetness and texture. Cantaloupe and honeydew work best, in my opinion, and honeydew being the best.

No! Just wash the outside well, but do leave the outside in tact, as it is meant to be eaten – just like other radishes.

In the refrigerator, watermelon radishes can last up to a month! So use what you need and store the rest in the refrigerator in a container.

I hope you love this Watermelon Radish Salad! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating so I know how you liked it!

Recipe

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Watermelon Radish Salad with Green Garlic Basil Vinaigrette