Watermelon, feta and mint salad: sweet, salty, cold, in a quarter of an hour
One of the most refreshing salads of summer: cold watermelon cubes, salty feta, thin red onion, mint, olive oil and lime. The sweetness of the fruit and the salt of the cheese are the whole idea; nothing else is needed. It takes a quarter of an hour and is served at once, because salted watermelon starts weeping after half an hour. For the barbecue, a heatwave, supper on the terrace.
Your own work in that: 15 min.
- Cutting 10 min
- Dressing and assembling 5 min
Step by step
0 / 5 doneCut the watermelon
Peel the cold watermelon, pick out the seeds and cut into 2.5 cm cubes. Large cubes hold their shape and juice; small ones turn to mush when handled. Pour the juice from the board away or drink it, not onto the salad.
Ingredients: 1000 g watermelon flesh · 200 g feta · ½ pcs red onion · ½ bunch fresh mint · 50 g black olives
TipWatermelon straight from the fridge, at least 2 hours of chilling. Warm watermelon in this salad is dull; cold is its whole point.
Cold, large cubes, no seedsSlice the onion thin and soak it
Cut the onion into very thin rings or slivers and drop into cold water for 5 minutes, then drain. It loses its bite, stays crunchy and won't overpower the delicate melon.
Paper thin, five minutes in waterMake the dressing
Whisk the olive oil with a fork with the lime juice and pepper. No salt: the feta and olives bring enough, and salt would draw the juice out of the watermelon.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil · 1 pcs lime, juice · ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
TipSalt speeds up the melon releasing its juice (osmosis). That is why the only salt comes from the feta, and the salad is served right after assembling.
Olive oil, lime, pepper, no saltAssemble on a platter
Spread the watermelon on a wide platter, not in a deep bowl. Scatter the onion and olives, crumble the feta over with your fingers, tear the mint leaves on top (don't chop: chopped mint darkens faster). Drizzle with the dressing. Don't toss: the feta would smear and the melon break.
In layers, flat, without tossingServe at once
On the table within 15 minutes of assembling. With grilled meat, as a light supper with bread, or as a starter in a heatwave. Leftovers are not for tomorrow: the melon weeps and the feta softens.
Right after assembling, beside the grill
Before you start
With cucumber
Half a cucumber in slices among the melon: even more cooling, the 35-degree version.
With grilled halloumi
Instead of feta, slices of halloumi grilled 2 minutes a side, laid warm on the cold melon.
To go
For a picnic carry the melon, feta and dressing in separate boxes and assemble on the spot. Assembled an hour ahead, it arrives as soup.
