Watermelon Feta Salad
You might be wondering why, or how, anyone would do anything other than immediately devour one of our watermelons upon cutting it open because true to their name, they are such sweet gems. But if you do have the willpower to save enough watermelon, this dish is a very fun and fresh summer side. It’s a great addition to any summer meal, fantastic on it’s own, and makes for an especially delightful potluck pick (way more refreshing than a potato salad!).
This very simple recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi’s 2010 cookbook Plenty; if you are a vegetable lover and not yet familiar with his work, I’d say it’s certainly worth checking out, especially if you enjoy mediterranean flavors! If you’re not ready to commit to a whole book, you can get a taste of his style here: Ottolenghi’s Recipe Page. He also writes a regular Guardian column, and can be found in many corners of the cooking internet world, like this video in which he describes his approach to flavor.
As he mentions in the above video, Ottolenghi is “kind of famous for using a lot of ingredients.” This is definitely reflected in the recipes out of Plenty, which often include a long list of ingredients - spices you may not already have in your pantry, fresh herbs aplenty, preserves, vegetables you’ve long wondered how to cook - but this watermelon recipe, near the end of the book, was a pleasant surprise of just 5 ingredients (one of which is optional). It’s titled “Watermelon and feta,” and that’s truly about it.
This Durst Organic Grower has many-a-time enjoyed such a watermelon salad while dining out at an old favorite mediterranean restaurant (which is sadly no longer in business) and wondered, “what do they add to make it taste so good?” So, naturally, I was delighted to come across this recipe to finally learn the secrets behind watermelon salad. But it would seem the answer is as simple as it looks - there’s not really a “secret” ingredient here - what you see on the plate is what you get!
Ottolenghi encourages (demands?) the home cook to enjoy this watermelon salad on a beach, or at least outdoors, and while I’ve never been the biggest fan of beach dining (because sand), I will attest it does taste better under some dappled sunshine (or moonlight), and soft summer air.
Watermelon And Feta
Ingredients:
Serves 2*
watermelon (about 2 cups, cubed)
5 oz feta **
1/4 cup basil leaves (whole, torn, chopped - depending on your preference)
1/4 cup mint leaves (whole, torn, chopped - depending on your preference)
1/4 of a small red onion, quick pickled ***
olive oil
*Use these quantities as a guide, scaling up or down depending on how many are dining with you, and adjusting “to taste.”
**If you’re not a feta fan, I think this would also taste good with any other crumbly, salty, cheese (like cotija). An addition of thinly sliced jalapeño might also be great…if you’re keen on a little kick.
***The original recipe calls for raw onion (which is also the aforementioned optional ingredient!), but I love to use pickled red onions wherever I can and thought this was a great place for that.
Method:
If you don’t already have some on hand (I tend to keep a jar in my fridge), prepare the pickled onions. You’ll want to do this first to give the onion some time to pickle. There are many great recipes out there for pickled red onions, but here are two simple guides on how to make them: Quick Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Red Onions. For this setting, I’d do a bit of a mash-up of those two recipes, as follows:
While thinly slicing the onion (a mandoline works wonderfully here), heat a kettle of water.
Place sliced onions in a mesh strainer over the sink or bowl and pour the boiling water over - this optional step helps mellow out the onion’s bite.
Combine 3/4 cup of vinegar (can be a combination of vinegars, I like rice vinegar or/and apple cider) with 1/4 water, 1-2 tablespoons sugar, 1-2 teaspoons of salt. Place onion slices into jar(s) or bowl and pour brine mixture over to cover.
Let sit 15-30 minutes at least before using. Refrigerate to store.
Set aside while you prepare other ingredients
Cube or ball as much watermelon as you think you’ll eat - about 2 cups for 2 servings (I like to just cube up the entire watermelon, saving what I don’t use here for other uses/snacks in the fridge). Place in a large bowl or serving platter (or directly onto the plates you’ll eat off of!).
Using your hands, roughly crumble the feta and arrange on top of watermelon. Add herbs and red onions. Mix up a little, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil over everything.
Serve and enjoy!