COOK: Watermelon Salad with Feta & Walnuts

• Watermelon Salad Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Make Watermelon Feta Salad
• Storage & Serving Ideas
• Watermelon Salad with Feta & Walnuts

This watermelon feta salad combines sweet, juicy watermelon with salty feta, toasted walnuts, and greens. This is an effortless and refreshing summer salad recipe, with a complex flavor and satisfying crunch. It’s a cooling meal when the sun is scorching and you want to get out of the kitchen, but want something nourishing and homemade.

Rather than mixing up a separate dressing, the oil, vinegar, and seasonings are sprinkled directly on the salad, making this an effortless and fast dish to throw together with very little mess and fuss!

This makes a great side dish for a simple meal of toasted panini or cold sandwiches, or a light lunch served by itself. Make a big bowl and set it out with salad tongs for your next summer BBQ or buffet party, or plate individual servings for a more elegant presentation (with less dishes).

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Watermelon Salad Ingredients

Watermelon:

I like to use seedless watermelons, but you can also use a regular one and pick out the seeds. Pre-cut fruit is usually more expensive than buying a whole melon. Whole melons are also safer, as you can wash the fruit yourself before removing the rind, and you have control over the sanitation practices in your own kitchen.

You can buy pre-cut fruit to save time (or if you have a hard time cutting or using a whole melon), but for the freshest salad, buy a whole watermelon, peel it, and cut it into cubes. You can always freeze any extra watermelon to use for smoothies and frozen drinks!

Greens:

You can use arugula, lettuce, baby spinach. or spring mix (mesclun). I do not recommend buying chopped, bagged salads, as these often have preservatives or can be carries of food-borne illness.

I use fresh lettuce from my garden in season, and if I need to buy lettuce, remove the outer leaves, discard, and wash the rest well under plenty of cold running water.

Feta Cheese:

I usually buy block feta and crumble it myself. This is often less expensive and tastes fresher, but you can use the pre-crumbled stuff if that’s what you have.

Walnuts:

You can use whole or chopped walnuts. If they are raw, I recommend giving them a light toast in a heavy skillet to bring out the flavor and add crunch.

Dressing:

We’re dressing this with a bit of good olive oil, some wine vinegar, and a squeeze of lime juice. Rather than mixing up a dressing, I usually just drizzle the individual components over these salads. Finish with plenty of cracked freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (like Maldon) or a bit of lime-infused salt.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

cutting board & sharp knife:

You can buy pre-cut fruit to save time, but for the freshest salad, buy a whole watermelon, peel it, and cut it into cubes. You’ll want a large cutting board and a sharp knife for this.

serving bowl or plates:

I like to plate these salads individually (either as a side on a dinner plate, or on a separate salad plate) but you can also make a large one in a mixing or serving bowl for a buffet or summer BBQ side dish.

How to Make Watermelon Feta Salad

prep ingredients:

• Wash and dry your salad greens. If you are using a head of lettuce, slice or tear into bite-sized portions.
• If you are using a whole watermelon, wash the rind, then remove the rind and dice into bite sized pieces.
  • Follow the directions in our watermelon “fries” recipe post if you don’t know how to slice a melon easily!
• If you are using raw walnuts, toast them for a few minutes in a heavy pan (I use cast iron) over medium heat.
  • Stir or shake the pan often, and remove them from the pan as soon as they are warm and fragrant.
• Get out the other ingredients and either serving plates or a large bowl.

assemble salads:

• Build the individual salads on your plates or salad bowls, or layer the ingredients in your serving bowl for family-style service.
• Start with a layer of the salad greens, mixing well if you are using a blend of greens.

add melon and cheese:

• Layer the cubed watermelon pieces over the salad greens, spreading them evenly.
• Crumble the fresh feta on top of the greens and melon.

dress the watermelon salads:

• Drizzle the olive oil over the plates (two tablespoons per serving) or the mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle the wine vinegar over the top (one tablespoon per serving).
• You can squeeze the lemon or lime wedge on the salads before serving, or serve with the wedge on the plate.
• Grate plenty of freshly cracked black pepper over the top, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt or homemade lime-infused sea salt.

Storage & Serving Ideas

This watermelon feta salad is best made and assembled just before serving.

If you want to make it in advance, pack the greens with the crumbled feta separately from the watermelon. Drizzle the dressing ingredients and seasonings on the melon, and combine these just before serving. This will keep the greens and cheese from getting soggy.