Watermelon Salads That Are Perfect for Summer

Chef Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus in St. Louis likes to grill cobia, a sweet, flaky whitefish, for this bright, refreshing salad.

This modern take on the traditional Greek salad is a combination of watermelon and feta cheese, and is topped with creamy yogurt.

"In my hometown of Orosei, bitter greens like arugula and dandelion grow alongside watermelons, so this salad is a natural combination for me," says chef Efisio Farris. The recipe is a fabulous blend of juicy (watermelon) and crunchy (red onions and walnuts). For anyone who thinks raspberry vinegar went out with the '90s, this fruity vinaigrette will be a revelation.

Let watermelon sit in a savory marinade of shallots, ginger, and champagne vinegar for 30 minutes to draw out the juices from the fruit and intensify its flavor.

The feta sauce is also terrific with Ana Sortun's Red Lentil Kofte.

Tim Byres uses a smart trick here: He sears the tomatoes on one side only, so they're fresh and smoky at the same time.

Best New Chefs 2014 Joseph Ogrodnek and Walker Stern update the classic combination of watermelon, feta and olives with smoky charred shishito peppers, fresh herbs and spicy Korean red chile powder.

This refreshing and complex salad--made with jicama, watermelon, papaya and a bold tequila-based vinaigrette--usually includes little pieces of deep-fried tortilla rounds.

Grilling watermelon gives it a pleasantly smoky flavor. Here, F&W's Justin Chapple tops slabs of the sweet-smoky fruit with a cumin-spiked avocado salsa.

For this recipe, summer watermelon and chicken come together in a puckery salad dressing made with lime juice and fish sauce.

This easy summer salad is perfect to make for a cookout or party because there's no lettuce to get soggy. Jacques Pepin agrees. His friends Faith Middleton (host of NPR's The Food Schmooze) and veteran publicist Fern Berman once brought a watermelon salad to one of his parties. He loved it and was inspired to create this recipe.

In this easy yet sophisticated recipe, chef Daniel Boulud pairs a curry-spiced crab salad with sweet watermelon and bright cilantro and mint.

Chef Grant Achatz says of this salad: "I think shellfish benefits from a little sweetness." He suggests draining the fruit in a colander after you cut it, for a cleaner presentation.

Chef Scott Conant likes serving summer's juiciest, sweetest watermelon just with feta, salt and crunchy toasted almonds.

Though he's known as the "prince of pork," chef Jason Vincent knows his way around a salad. His sugar-crusted watermelon resembles a seared rare tuna steak in this dynamic dish.

Matt Neal calls this supremely simple fruit salad the ultimate refresher on a hot day. For a grown-up version, he adds splashes of rum. "It's even more satisfying, then," he jokes.