gaxownOkay, Let’s Talk Watermelon Salad!
Okay, so picture this: hottest day of the year, my carefully planned BBQ is threatening to go belly up because the grill decided to take an unscheduled nap (typical!), and all I had properly prepped ahead of time was this huge bowl of watermelon feta salad. Honestly? It totally stole the show! Everyone forgot about the slightly delayed burgers and sausages. Since that fateful afternoon, it’s become my absolute non negotiable, must have, bring it everywhere side dish all summer long. It’s just *that* good, and ridiculously easy, you won’t believe it.
Why You’ll Be Obsessed Too
Seriously, this is my secret weapon for potlucks or last minute gatherings. Why? Because it looks super impressive, tastes incredibly fresh and bright, and honestly takes about 15 minutes flat to throw together. Maybe 20 if your knife skills are like mine (a bit dodgy!). Plus, my kids, who usually run screaming form salads involving anything green, actually *ask* for this one. Probably the sweetness from the melon, lets be honest, but hey, I’ll take the win! It’s just that perfect balance of sweet, salty, tangy, and fresh. Magic, I tell you.
What You’ll Need (Give or Take)
- Watermelon: About half a medium one, seedless is definitely your friend here unless you enjoy spitting seeds. Make sure its nice and cold!
- Feta Cheese: A block of decent quality feta (around 200g or 7oz?), crumbled by you. Please, please don’t use the pre crumbled stuff! My grandmother swore by Greek barrel aged feta, but honestly any block style feta packed in brine works leagues better than the dry crumbles. Trust me on this.
- Fresh Mint: A big handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped. This is pretty key for the flavour!
- Red Onion: About 1/4 to 1/2 of a small red onion, sliced paper thin. I know, raw onion can be intense for some folks. Slice it super thin, or even give the slices a quick soak in ice water for 5-10 minutes to mellow them out.
- Good Olive Oil: A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. The better the oil, the better the flavour, but use what you’ve got.
- Lime Juice: Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons). Lemon works too if that’s all you have in the fridge.
- Salt & Black Pepper: To taste. Don’t forget the feta is already salty!
- Optional Bits: Sometimes I throw in a chopped cucumber for extra crunch. A drizzle of balsamic glaze right at the end is *chef’s kiss*.
Picking a good watermelon is a whole saga in itself, isn’t it? The tapping, checking the yellow field spot… my grandad swore by checking if the little curly tendril near the stem was dried up, but I mostly just cross my fingers and hope for the best, ha! There are some good guides online though, like this one from Serious Eats if you want to get technical.
How to Throw It All Together
- Chop the Melon: Cut your cold watermelon into bite sized chunks. Aim for roughly 1 inch cubes, but don’t stress about perfection, life’s too short for perfectly uniform watermelon cubes. Put ’em in a big serving bowl.
- Add the Goodies: Crumble the feta cheese over the watermelon. Be generous! Use your hands, it’s more fun. Add the thinly sliced red onion and the chopped fresh mint. (If you’re using cucumber, add that now too).
- Make the Dressing (Sort Of): Okay, you can be fancy and whisk the olive oil, lime juice, a small pinch of salt (remember the feta!), and a good few grinds of black pepper in a separate little bowl. OR, you can be like me most days and just drizzle the olive oil and lime juice directly over the salad in the bowl, then sprinkle the salt and pepper on top. Either way works!
- Gentle Toss: Give everything a very gentle toss. You want to combine things, not mash the watermelon into oblivion. This is usually where I sneak a piece of feta and melon… you know, for quality control purposes.
- Taste and Tweak: Have a taste. Does it need a bit more lime? A touch more salt? Maybe more mint? Adjust it now. Sometimes I find it needs another glug of olive oil. Do what feels right!
- Serve!: Serve it up straight away. If you’re adding balsamic glaze, now’s the time for a little drizzle.
A Few Notes From My Kitchen
Right, listen up. I learned the hard way: don’t dress this salad *too* far ahead of serving time. The watermelon releases its water (it weeps, poor thing) and it can get a bit soupy if it sits for hours, especially with the salt form the feta. Best to combine everything right before you plan to eat, or maybe 30 mins ahead max.
Definitely use *cold* watermelon. Room temperature watermelon in this salad is just… not the refreshing vibe we’re going for. Seriously, chill it well.
And I know I sound like a broken record, but use block feta! Its creamier and just tastes better.
Fun Variations I’ve Tried
I love experimenting (sometimes successfully, sometimes… less so). I once tried adding grilled halloumi instead of feta – that was actually really delicious, gave it a nice salty, squeaky texture, made it feel a bit more substantial.
Throwing in some pitted Kalamata olives is also a winner if you like things extra salty and briny. Adds another layer of flavour.
One time, feeling adventurous, I added blueberries. Look, it wasn’t *terrible*, but it definitely wasn’t my favourite version. Something about the flavour combo felt a bit off to me, maybe too much sweetness? I dunno. Probably won’t do that again, but hey, you might love it!
Equipment You Might Need
Honestly, nothing fancy here. You need a big bowl to mix everything in, a decent knife for chopping the watermelon and onion, and a cutting board. A little whisk is handy for the dressing if you go that route, but as I said, a fork works just fine too, doesn’t it? No need to buy special gadgets.
Storing Leftovers (If Any!)
Leftovers? Ha! Good one. If, by some miracle, you *do* have leftovers, pop them in an airtight container in the fridge. It will get a bit more watery by the next day as the melon continues to release juice, but I actually don’t mind it. I think the flavours meld even more. It’s still perfectly edible and tasty on day two, though honestly, in my house, it never ever lasts that long!
How We Like to Eat It
This is our go to side dish for anything off the grill – chicken, fish, sausages, you name it. It cuts through the richness beautifully. But it’s also fantastic just on its own for a super light and refreshing lunch, maybe with a piece of crusty bread on the side to mop up those gorgeous juices? That’s my personal fave.
Pro Tips (Learned From Mistakes!)
- I once tried rushing the chopping and made the watermelon pieces too small. Regretted it! They got mushy much faster when tossed. Stick to chunkier, bite sized pieces.
- Seriously, taste your watermelon before you start! A bland, watery melon will unfortunately make a kinda sad, bland salad. No amount of feta can fix a rubbish melon (well, almost).
- Don’t skip the fresh herbs! Mint is classic for a reason here. Basil is a good sub, but dried herbs just won’t cut it for this refreshing summer watermelon feta salad. If you’re unsure about herbs, The Kitchn has a great guide.
Your Questions Answered (Probably!)
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Sort of! Your best bet is to chop the watermelon, feta, and onion and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. Chop the mint just before serving (it goes brown otherwise) and whisk the dressing together. Then just combine everything right before you want to serve it. Dressing it hours ahead leads to watery salad city, population: you.
What if I really hate mint?
No worries! Fresh basil is a fantastic substitute and gives it a slightly different, lovely flavour. Some people even use fresh cilantro (coriander) if you like that sort of thing – gives it a bit of a Mexican twist maybe?
Is the feta absolutely essential?
Well, it *is* kinda called watermelon feta salad, innit? Haha. The salty feta is key to balancing the sweet melon. But hey, rules are made to be broken! You could try crumbled goat cheese for a tangier vibe, or even those little fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini) for something milder? If you try something else, let me know how it goes!
Help! My feta is too salty!
Ah, yeah, some fetas are saltier than others. If you know yours is potent, give it a quick rinse under cold water before crumbling, or just use a bit less and hold back on adding any extra salt in the dressing until you’ve tasted the final mix.
gaxown
