Chopping and tossing. That’s pretty much it. Watermelon feta salad is a refreshingly cool, slightly sweet/salty swing that’s perfect for summer. Best part? No cooking (well, unless you want to toast cumin seeds, but that’s really up to you).
Did you grow up around friends who put salt on their watermelon wedges? I did, and I thought it was strange. Why not just eat a slice; spit the seeds as far as you could; and then run off to go swimming? Then I grew up and my taste buds matured. Now a savory approach is one of my favorite ways to eat watermelon. With just a little prep, this can be a side dish or a whole meal. In fact, I just had it for lunch and I’m going back for seconds.
Happy tummy. Cool kitchen. Enjoy!
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Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups watermelon, large diced and de-seeded
- 7 ounces feta cheese, cubed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 scallions
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange
- Juice of 1 lemon or orange. Alternatively, juice of 1/2 grapefruit
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint, basil, or cilantro. Alternatively, 1 teaspoon finely minced tarragon (a little goes a long way, so go lightly)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Coarse salt to taste (at time of serving, only)
Directions
- Remove rind and seeds from watermelon and cut melon into bite sized cubes. Place in a large bowl
- Dice feta cheese into small cubes. Place in the bowl with the watermelon
- Finely chop scallions and put them in the bowl with the melon
- Finely chop mint, basil, cilantro or tarragon and place it in the bowl with melon
- If you choose, heat cumin seeds in skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes
- Crush cumin seeds and black pepper using a mortar and pestle, bottom of a glass, or meat tenderizer (in a bag). Keep a little texture, do not grind to a powder. Place in little mixing bowl
- Zest orange or lemon and place zest in the bowl with the cumin seeds
- Juice lemon, orange or grapefruit and place in the bowl with the cumin seeds. Whisk to combine
- Pour juice, zest and spice mixture over melon mixture and gently mix to combine
- Refrigerate between 1-3 hours to let the flavors “meld.” Prior to serving, re-mix to distribute juices. Salt to taste (optional). Serve chilled
