Counter sweet watermelon with salty feta and olives in this summer favorite.
There is a whole hell of a lot going on in this salad. Sweet watermelon. Briny feta cheese. Salty oil-cured black olives. Vibrant mint. Fresh black pepper.
But that’s it. No dressing needed. It’s incredibly quick and easy to throw together and in return to get an insane amount of crowd-pleasing flavor. I’ve been known to make a light lunch from a very large serving, but most people would likely serve it as a salad or side with a type of grilled meat or two as the centerpiece of the meal.
Another great characteristic of this salad is that it can sit around a bit without losing its charm, making it perfect for potlucks, picnics, and outdoor parties in general. Its a characteristic shared by both this eggplant salad and this peach celery salad, in case you have a party planned.
Ingredients
- 1 mini watermelon
- 12 oil-cured black olives
- 3 ounces feta cheese
- 3 sprigs fresh mint
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of the watermelon peel, revealing the bright red fruit inside. Stand the melon on one of the cut sides and cut off and discard the remaining rind, cutting down between the rind and fruit. Cut the watermelon into large, and fork-able chunks. Put them in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter.
- Use the flat side of a knife to push down and crush each olive, this will make it easy to remove and discard the pits. Roughly chop the olives or just pull them into pieces. Scatter them over the watermelon.
- Crumble the feta over the salad.
- Remove the leaves of mint from their stems and tear them into pieces. Grind fresh pepper to taste over the salad, and then scatter the mint over the top. Serve immediately.
