Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber

By Ghuman

Introduction

This delicious Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber is a refreshing and light summer dish that is perfect for a hot day. It is a simple salad that combines the sweetness of watermelon with the salty flavor of feta cheese and the crunch of cucumber. The combination of flavors and textures makes this salad a great side dish or light meal. It is also a great way to use up any leftover watermelon you may have. This salad is easy to make and can be served as a side dish or as a main course. Enjoy!

Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber

This refreshing summer salad is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Watermelon, feta cheese, and cucumber are tossed together with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. It’s a light and flavorful side dish that pairs well with grilled meats or fish.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup diced cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, feta, and cucumber.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mint, and parsley.
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Serve chilled.

This watermelon salad with feta cheese is a light-weight and wholesome facet dish to serve at summer time barbecues and picnics. It’s a refreshing mixture of fruit and veggies tossed in a candy and tangy herb-lime dressing.

watermelon salad in a white bowl
Desk of Contents
  1. Getting ready the watermelon
  2. Add pickled onion
  3. Recent mix-ins
  4. Make a French dressing
  5. Serving the salad
  6. Serve this with
  7. FAQ
  8. Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe

Because the climate warms up, a watermelon salad makes the proper addition to an alfresco meal. A scrumptious summer time salad made with components picked at their peak doesn’t want a lot to reinforce the style. However I’ve a couple of easy tricks to flip an enormous ole’ melon into a surprising dish.

To intensify the juicy purple items, I take advantage of chopped greens like cucumbers and radish to offer additional crunch and shade. However that’s not all. The thinly sliced purple onions are rapidly pickled with no additional effort, including a satisfying tanginess for steadiness. Then drizzle with a minty lime French dressing and prime with feta for the last word candy and savory taste.

Getting ready the watermelon

Choose a seedless watermelon, if potential, about 6 to eight kilos in weight. This dimension is taken into account mini, which is ideal for fruit salad and a few additional for snacking on. Search for one with a creamy yellow spot beneath to point it’s ripe. Additionally, examine if it makes a hole sound when tapped.

To chop the watermelon, I discover it best to take away the rind first with a pointy chef’s knife, then chop it into 3/4-inch cubes. Though for a fancier presentation, you should utilize a melon baller to make tiny spheres.

Add pickled onion

As a substitute of including uncooked onions, make them extra enticing. Simply two components rework them right into a candy and tangy topping. A ratio of two components purple wine vinegar and 1 half honey makes a fast pickling resolution. Slice the purple onions very skinny.

The skinny dimension permits the acid to taste the greens sooner. In simply quarter-hour, mainly, when you’re accomplished making ready the remainder of the salad components, it is going to be prepared. You’ll be able to even make it the day earlier than to avoid wasting time, and it’ll style even higher.

individual portions of various ingredients

Recent mix-ins

So as to add dimension to the salad, I add chopped greens. English cucumbers complement the melon since they’re each from the cucurbitaceae plant household. Along with their delicate taste, in addition they present a pleasing crunch and construction for the bottom. Their pores and skin is fragile and tender, so no have to peel. The added fiber is all the time a plus!

Slices of purple radish add a barely peppery style. Use watermelon radish if in season for an additional pop of shade. If you wish to toss in additional greens, then arugula or child spinach are good choices. You can too reduce avocado cubes for additional creaminess however sprinkle on prime proper earlier than serving to maintain the flesh inexperienced and items intact. Diced jicama additionally provides a refreshing crisp texture.

Make a French dressing

A light-weight and tangy herbed French dressing properly infuse into the watermelon cubes in comparison with a thick dressing. Freshly grated lime zest and juice add a tartness, though you may substitute with lemon juice. Pink wine vinegar provides a pleasant fermented, tangy notice, however apple cider vinegar works properly too.

Honey provides sweetness to steadiness the flavors. I like so as to add sliced contemporary mint and basil. The herbaceous notes infuse into the dressing and launch intense aromas. Select a impartial fats like avocado or olive oil to thicken the combination barely. Slowly drizzle within the oil whereas continuously whisking to make a correct emulsion.

Serving the salad

Proper earlier than serving, toss the salad with half of the dressing. This course of attracts out among the fruit juices and permits them to combine with the French dressing. I like so as to add a bit extra on prime for additional bursts of lime. Don’t neglect to empty and add the pickled onions. As a of completion, crumble some salty feta cheese on prime. Goat cheese or cotija make pretty swaps.

pouring salad dressing over cubes of watermelon

Serve this with

FAQ

Can I make watermelon salad prematurely?

Sure! Reduce items of watermelon might be saved inside an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days prematurely. If combined with the dressing, solely maintain it for as much as 2 days. The acids and sugars will break down the fruit, making the feel softer if marinated too lengthy.

What cheese goes with watermelon?

Feta is the most typical pairing with melon. The salty and briny style enhances the sweetness of the juicy purple flesh. Goat cheese or cotija could be good alternate options.

How do you make the watermelon look fancier?

As a substitute of cubes, you may reduce the fruit into completely different shapes. A melon baller makes fairly spheres, or small cookie cutters could make hearts, stars, or different shapes.

fresh watermelon salad with crumbles of feta cheese

The advantages of pickling the onions

Uncooked onions have a spicy, sulfurous style. To mellow out the flavour, add acidity and sweetness. Soaking the greens in a vinegar and honey resolution, a candy brine, mellows the tough notes. Every slice is shiny and tangy, with a touch of sweetness. It solely takes quarter-hour to infuse and rework the style, however it may well additional develop if marinated in a single day.

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Watermelon Salad

  • ¼ cup purple wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey, pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup thinly sliced purple onions, ⅛-inch thick
  • 6 cups diced watermelon, ¾-inch items, seedless
  • 2 cups sliced English cucumber, halved, ¼-inch thick
  • ¼ cup sliced radish, halved, ⅛-inch thick
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, about ⅓ cup

Herb-Lime Dressing (about 2/3 cup)

  • In a small bowl, whisk collectively 1/4 cup purple wine vinegar and a pair of tablespoons of honey. Add the sliced purple onions and permit them to take a seat for at the least quarter-hour. Drain properly earlier than including to the salad.

  • In a big serving bowl, add the watermelon, cucumber, and radish, put aside.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk collectively lime zest, lime juice, 2 tablespoons honey, chopped basil, chopped mint, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Slowly drizzle within the avocado oil, constantly whisking till a frivolously thickened dressing types. Style and season with extra salt and pepper as desired.

  • Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad, then gently toss to mix.

  • Garnish with feta cheese, basil and mint leaves. Serve instantly with dressing on the facet.

  • Recipe Yield: 8 cups
  • Serving Measurement: 1 cup
  • Storing: Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 days.

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Diet Information

Watermelon Feta Salad

Quantity Per Serving

Energy 134
Energy from Fats 81

% Each day Worth*

Fats 9g14%

Saturated Fats 2g10%

Polyunsaturated Fats 1g

Monounsaturated Fats 5g

Ldl cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 229mg10%

Potassium 213mg6%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 750IU15%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 54mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* P.c Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.

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