Watermelon Feta Salad (Printable version)
Sweet watermelon, creamy feta, cucumber and mint dressed with lime and olive oil - ready in 15 minutes.
# What you need:
→ Produce
01 - 4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 1 cup English cucumber, diced
03 - ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
04 - ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, hand-torn
05 - ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, hand-torn (optional)
→ Dairy
06 - ¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Dressing
07 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
09 - ½ teaspoon honey or agave syrup
10 - Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How To:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, arrange the cubed watermelon, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, and torn mint and basil leaves. Set aside while preparing the dressing.
02 - In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper until the mixture is emulsified and uniform.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing evenly over the watermelon mixture. Toss gently with salad servers to coat all ingredients without breaking the watermelon cubes.
04 - Scatter the crumbled feta cheese over the dressed salad. Toss once more with a light hand to distribute the cheese evenly throughout. Serve immediately for the freshest flavor and texture.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Zero cooking means your kitchen stays cool and you stay sane on brutal summer days.
- The sweet salty contrast between watermelon and feta is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people close their eyes when they eat.
- It comes together faster than you can scroll through delivery options on your phone.
02 -
- Watermelon releases a shocking amount of liquid once salted, so serving immediately is not just a suggestion but a hard rule if you want texture.
- Tossing the dressing with warm or room temperature watermelon creates a watery puddle at the bottom of the bowl within minutes. Chill your melon first and the entire salad holds together beautifully.
03 -
- Cut the watermelon slightly larger than the cucumber so the two textures are distinguishable in every mouthful rather than blending into uniform mush.
- Let the dressed salad rest for exactly two minutes before serving because that brief pause lets the flavors marry without giving the salt time to pull moisture from the melon.