This watermelon salad is a light and fresh way to eat everyone’s favorite Summertime fruit.
Watermelon salad is pretty versatile. It makes a great side dish for lunch or dinner, goes great with beef, chicken, even fish, and you can choose whether to dress it or not.
There are only three main ingredients. Watermelon, thin-skinned English or Persian cucumbers and creamy feta cheese. While this trio is good on its own, we punch the flavor up a couple of notches with chopped fresh mint and basil from our garden.
English and Persian cucumbers work best because they have thin skins and are generally seedless. If you can only find the standard waxy-skinned cucumbers, that’s OK. You might want to peel them first. Quarter and slice thinly, about 1/4″.
We like to get feta by the block instead of crumbled. It makes it easier to cut it a consistent size.
You could just stop there. This salad doesn’t really need a dressing, but a drizzle of syrupy, reduced balsamic vinegar or a honey-lime vinaigrette can really pull it all together. If you do dress this salad, do it right before serving and eat it right away.
How to pick the best watermelon
Look for a symmetrical melon that is heavy for its size. It should not have any gnarly blemishes or soft spots. Check for the the spot where it rested on the ground while growing. If you don’t see one, the melon’s not mature. You want a melon that has detached naturally from the vine, so look for a clean indentation where the stem use to be.
Serve this salad at your next backyard party, or on a hot no-cooking kind of night. Pairs well with kebabs, grilled chicken, shrimp skewers, on top of salmon, or on a bed of arugula.
Watermelon Salad
Equipment
- Blender or stick blender
Mise en place
- 1 small seedless watermelon peeled and cut into 1/2" dice, or scooped out with a melon baller
- 1 English or hothouse cucumber quartered, cut into 1/2" pieces
- 3 oz feta cheese block (cut into 1/2" dice) or crumbled
- 10 leaves fresh basil chiffonade, for garnish
- 10 leaves fresh mint chiffonade, for garnish
Honey lime vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp light olive oil or 1/2 tbsp canola, 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
Method
- Combine watermelon, cucumbers and feta in a large bowl. Mix together well with clean hands.
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in blender, blend until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assembling the salad
- Toss watermelon, cucumbers and feta with the vinaigrette. Garnish with basil and mint. Serve immediately.
[…] Watermelon Salad — Chez Grenier […]