Watermelon and Feta Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette
Prep Time
15
Serves
3-4
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- 6 ounces block imported feta cheese
- 1/2 small seedless watermelon
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint, plus a few small whole leaves for garnish
- crunchy sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Watermelon vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon watermelon jelly
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
Steps
1
In a small bowl add the watermelon jelly and microwave for 15 seconds. You could alternatively add the tiniest amount of water and whisk so the jelly becomes thinned. Add in the olive oil and champagne vinegar to the same bowl and whisk until the olive oil emulsifies. Set aside.
2
Peel the cucumber then chop the cucumber, watermelon and feta in to equal sized cubes. Mine were about 1.2 inch pieces.
3
Plate the cubed components in alternating order to create a square or any design that you would like. Or none at all! Top with vinaigrette, mint, sea salt and pepper.
If you want to eat a salad but also drink at the same time.
Juicy. This is peak refreshment in the hottest of summer months. I don’t know if this is just a thing in the south, but my Grandmother would always put salt on watermelon, which is actually good. And for a good reason, too. The super sweet watermelon needs some balancing, but turns out the better way to do that (versus just salt) is with salty feta. I’m personally always looking for reasons to eat feta anyway.
While watermelon and feta are not a new flavor combination, I do think the addition of a watermelon vinaigrette might make you like this salad even more than you already did. What it does is amplify the watermelon flavor and provide some necessary (in my book) acidity.
The arrangement and chopping in the steps above is purely aesthetic, so my quantities in the ingredients list are likely more than you would use. However, if you are looking for perfectly even, solid pieces of watermelon and cucumber then it might take that much for pieces that are *just right*. This would be a stunning first course for a summer bbq or dinner party that really wows without too much effort! I’m thinking a glass of ice cold rosé and simple grilled salmon!
When you start with a first course this beautiful and flavorful, the rest of the meal can be super simple without losing any wow factor!