Now don’t get me wrong…a slice of cold, ripe, juicy watermelon is divine. But I’ve recently created a salad that we just can’t get enough of! Cool, crisp, and refreshing, this salad is the perfect blend of flavor and texture. Sweet watermelon and salty olives, crunchy cucumber and melt-in-your-mouth feta, soothing yogurt and assertive lemon, in a word…Delicious! Oh, and did I mention that it is beautiful, too?
Use your imagination! Add other fruits and vegetables, making this salad your own! Fresh berries would be delicious, as would thinly sliced radishes. Try adding thin rings of red onion in place of the green onions. This is the taste of summer!
Summer Watermelon Salad
Serves 4-5
Salad:
3 Cups Diced, seedless watermelon
½ Large English cucumber, halved lengthwise, then sliced ½ -inch thick slices
½ Cup Halved, pitted Kalamata olives
½ Medium Bell pepper, diced
10 Grape tomatoes, halved
4 Green onions, thinly sliced, including tops
4 oz Good quality feta cheese, crumbled
Zest Of 1 large lemon
2 Tbsp Minced fresh basil
2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
Dressing:
6 oz Plain Greek yogurt (I prefer the Fage brand)
4 oz Good quality feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Raspberry Blush vinegar or red wine vinegar
Zest Of 1 large lemon
2 Tbsp Minced fresh mint
1 Tbsp Minced fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
Fresh ground pepper
To prepare the salad: Gently toss all of the ingredients together in a nonreactive bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.
To prepare the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Chill.
To serve: Divide the salad among chilled bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the top. Garnish with additional mint or basil if desired.
