A watermelon feta salad is the ultimate summer treat! Pairing sweet melon with salty cheese is such a simple way to highlight the fruit of the season.
Here’s the best recipe for when watermelon is in season, hands down: watermelon feta salad! This classic combination of sweet juicy melon and salty cheese is one of summer’s great pleasures.
This recipe was the very first recipe I ever wrote for this website over a decade ago. So much has changed since then, but this summer salad has become massively popular: and for good reason! It’s so refreshing, fast and easy to make, and has a carefree vibe that’s just right for barbecues and picnics.
5 Star Reader Review
“Delicious! Made it for a party today and got lots of raves!!” -Yale
Watermelon Salad Ingredients
Watermelon feta salad is a popular salad of fresh cubed watermelon and feta cheese, drizzled with olive oil or a quick vinaigrette. The salad may have originated in Egypt, and it’s eaten in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions and around the world. While you may see it all over Pinterest: no, it was not invented by social media influencers! It highlights age old tradition of pairing sweet fruit with salty cheese.
Often you’ll see this type of recipe at summer potlucks and cookouts, since it’s so refreshing in hot weather. Some recipes use a quick vinaigrette to dress the watermelon, but we like a simple drizzle of olive oil. Here are the watermelon feta salad ingredients:
- Ripe watermelon: Finding a ripe melon is key
- Feta cheese: a block, not the pre-crumbled tub
- Fresh herbs: I like fresh basil or mint, both work well
- Olive oil: Add just enough “dressing” to make it a salad
- Salt and pepper: For seasoning
How To Choose A Ripe Watermelon
Because this watermelon feta salad is so simple, it’s important that you buy the best quality ingredients. An unripe watermelon tastes bitter and flat: not at all what you need for this salad! Here’s how to select a great ripe fruit:
- Shop in watermelon season. It’s the only sure way we’ve found to get a great fruit.
- Look for the field spot. Most watermelons should have a patch on the bottom, which is where they were resting on the ground before being picked. If the patch is yellow, the watermelon is ripe (if it’s white, it’s unripe).
- Look for a watermelon that feels heavy for its size. That means there’s lots of juice inside! Honestly this one is hard to assess in the grocery, but keep it in mind when you’re shopping.
How To Buy The Best Feta Cheese
Equally as important is the feta cheese you purchase. Skip the pre-crumbled stuff and go for a block of full-fat feta cheese. This kind of feta has the best flavor.
To be most authentic, avoid feta that’s made from cow’s milk. It crumbles more easily, which isn’t what you want. Feta from Greece (traditionally made with sheep’s milk) has incredible flavor if you can find it! We’ve been able to locate Greek feta at our local grocery store.
Watermelon Feta Salad Dressing
I don’t dress this salad, because simply olive and a pinch of salt make the melon taste amazing! If you do want a dressing, add it at the last second. Here are a few ideas:
- Lime juice. A squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top is the simplest option.
- Honey-lime. One tablespoon lime juice, one teaspoon honey, a pinch of salt.
- Balsamic glaze. Balsamic goes perfectly with watermelon. I would use a thick balsamic glaze or just a hint of my go-to balsamic vinaigrette, right before serving.
Tips For The Best Watermelon Feta Salad
- Make big cubes. The goal is approximately 1-inch pieces. Small cubes release more liquid.
- Use a platter, not a bowl. Bowls collect juice at the bottom and the last servings sit in a puddle.
- Salt at the very end. Salt draws out water, so sprinkle it right before serving.
- Tear the herbs. This makes it super simple to put together the salad!
Make Ahead And Storage Tips
This watermelon feta salad is best freshly made, so we have a few tips for making it ahead:
- To make ahead, cut the watermelon and refrigerate; add feta before serving. Chopped watermelon releases a lot of liquid, so the best way to make this salad in advance is to chop and store the melon separately. Make up the salad right before serving.
- Leftovers are not ideal, but store up to 2 days. This salad is sub-optimal as leftovers because it releases so much juice. It does work, but it’s better for laid back lunches than impressing dinner guests.
Variations On Watermelon Feta Salad
There are lots of variations on watermelon feta salad, swapping in different cheeses, herbs, and dressings. Here are a few options:
- Mint: This watermelon mint salad is a favorite variation: omit the feta and add lime juice and mint.
- Basil: Making watermelon basil salad adds an herbaceous twist and lemon zest.
- Cucumber: Add this cooling vegetable to make watermelon cucumber salad.
- Onion: Throw in thinly sliced red onion or minced shallot to add a hint of savory.
- Baby arugula: Add baby arugula to turn it into a green salad.
What To Serve Alongside
This salad goes with almost any cookout food! Here are a few of my top things to pair:
- Grilled chicken thighs or grilled shrimp skewers
- Grilled salmon or grilled veggie kabobs
- Alongside grilled corn salad or grilled zucchini on a potluck table
- With a pitcher of watermelon lemonade, or a watermelon margarita
Dietary Notes
This watermelon feta salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, go to Watermelon Salad with Mint.
Watermelon Feta Salad
Pin RecipeA watermelon feta salad is the ultimate summer treat! Pairing sweet melon with salty cheese is such a simple way to highlight the fruit of the season.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 cups cubed ripe seedless watermelon (5 pounds or 1/2 medium watermelon), chilled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 basil or 6 mint leaves, minced
- Lemon zest (optional)
- 1 pinch kosher salt, for garnish
- Fresh ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the watermelon and arrange it on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with feta crumbles, basil or mint, and kosher salt. Add lemon zest or black pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately. If making ahead, refrigerate the cubed watermelon separately: it releases a large amount of water after it is cut. Then assemble the salad right before serving. Leftovers store for up to 2 days.
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/2CyviPI
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