Watermelon and Feta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
For the Salad:
- 3-pounds watermelon, seeds removed, chilled (see note)
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ¾ cup fresh basil
Instructions
- Cut rind from the watermelon and chop the fruit into 1-inch cubes.
- If using a watermelon with seeds, while cutting into cubes, remove the seeds: this becomes a very labor intensive effort and a seedless watermelon is highly recommended.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper; set the dressing aside.
- In a large bowl, combine watermelon cubes, crumbled feta and basil leaves.
- Toss gently until ingredients are combined well.
- Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle a few basil leaves on top.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Stir gently to integrate the cheese and dressing into the salad.
- Always serve chilled.
Notes
Use seedless watermelon, if available; it makes it much easier to cut the fruit and avoids the risk of biting into a seed while eating.
Always use chilled watermelon for this salad.
Block feta is so much better than crumbled feta.
You can easily swap fresh basil with fresh mint, if desired.
This is a great make-ahead salad; however, don’t let the salad sit in the refrigerator for too many hours; make sure it is refrigerated for just an hour or two before serving.
And don’t miss out on the simple dressing; dressing for watermelon feta salad is made of good quality olive oil, lime juice, salt and ground pepper.