Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 800 g seedless watermelon, chilled and cubed
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled from a block
- 15 g fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- 50 g red onion, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 g flaky sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 235 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 528 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 33 mg
- Potassium
- 294 mg
- Calcium
- 212 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 156 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 111 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 19 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.37 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 25 mcg
- Water
- 221 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef knife and cutting board, cut the chilled watermelon into bite-sized cubes and place them in the large mixing bowl.
Thinly slice the red onion and add it to the large mixing bowl with the cubed watermelon.
In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, flaky sea salt, and cracked black pepper until thoroughly combined.
Pour the lime dressing over the watermelon and red onions. Use salad servers to gently toss the ingredients together, ensuring the fruit is coated without crushing the cubes.
Scatter the crumbled feta cheese and torn fresh mint leaves evenly over the dressed watermelon.
Serve the salad immediately while the watermelon remains perfectly chilled and crisp.
Chef's Notes
- Always start with thoroughly chilled watermelon. The contrast between ice-cold fruit and room temperature cheese enhances the refreshing quality of the dish.
- Purchasing a block of feta stored in brine yields a superior texture compared to pre-crumbled feta, which contains anti-caking agents that make it dry and chalky.
- For a deeper flavor profile, try lightly grilling large wedges of watermelon for 2 minutes per side before chilling and cubing them for the salad.
- Tear the mint leaves rather than chopping them with a knife to prevent bruising the delicate herbs and oxidizing the edges.
Storage
Refrigerator: 12 hours — Best eaten immediately. If storing, keep the feta and mint separate from the watermelon until serving.
Troubleshooting
Watermelon cubes are mushy and sitting in a pool of liquid
Cause: The salad was dressed and salted too far in advance, which draws moisture out of the fruit
Fix: Carefully drain the excess liquid using a colander, but textural loss cannot be reversed
Prevention: Wait to add the dressing, salt, and feta until immediately before serving
The salad tastes overly salty
Cause: The feta cheese was very briny, and extra salt was added to the dressing
Fix: Add more chilled cubed watermelon to balance the saltiness
Prevention: Taste your feta before seasoning the dressing to gauge how much added salt is necessary
Cultural Context
While pairing fresh fruit with salty cheese is a historic staple of Mediterranean cuisines, the specific combination of watermelon, feta, and mint surged in popularity across modern American summer cooking in the early 2000s. It has since become a quintessential dish for warm-weather gatherings and holidays like the Fourth of July due to its vivid colors, minimal preparation time, and exceptional hydrating properties.
