I adore this salad. Nothing starts a summer meal better than this Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint! It’s great to start a lunch or dinner. It’s surprising, refreshing and scrumptious! I love how the black olives tease you to look like seeds but of course, you use a seedless watermelon. The olives are a delicious burst of salty goodness in contrast to the sweet watermelon. I started making this JACQUES PÉPIN recipe (I LOVE his recipes) when it first came out in the June, 2007 issue of Food and Wine magazine. The original recipe says this is for 12 servings but it really worked for just 10 people in our house. It’s easy and relatively fast to make. In the original recipe, Jacques tells you to use a watermelon baller and then throw in the remaining scraps but I prefer my salad to look more uniform so I just cut it into nice chunks. No matter how you cut it, my recommendation is to make this salad now, while the watermelons are ripe, sweet and juicy. Enjoy!
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WATERMELON SALAD WITH FETA AND MINT – Adapted from JACQUES PÉPIN – serves 10 – 12
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp.Tabasco
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
One 8-lb. seedless watermelon, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled
1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 small sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.
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This is such a perfect salad for summer. Feta or goat cheese really balances out the flavor of the melon. Yum. Now you have me craving a watermelon salad. Maybe next week! And mint is just such a perfect herb to complement the whole thing. Yum!
You’re right Amanda! The whole thing just works!! Feta is a little more sturdy than goat cheese – to the other ingredients – if you know what I mean. Hope you had a chance to make it.
This is one of my favourite summer salads. I had it first in Cyprus about 10 years ago and in warm weather it just hits the spot like nothing else. Sometimes I do it with Halloumi instead of feta.
Wonderlusting recently posted…Weird Food: Slice of Sushi Pizza Anyone?
Halloumi would be nice as well!! Eating it all in Cyprus would be even better!
Definitely – nothing says summer like watermelon salad.Everything on the plate looks so refreshing.
Jovina Coughlin recently posted…Italian Cooking with Healthy Fats
Thanks Jovina!! This is an extremely refreshing salad!
Really love the recipe. Was so skeptic the first time but just delicious. great pics.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz recently posted…Bahraini Chicken Machboos
Thanks Evelyne!!
We have a bunch of watermelon right now in the garden so this comes at a perfect time!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl recently posted…Homemade Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies
Pamela – I hope you had a chance to make and enjoy this!
I really need to make this recipe — we have load and loads of watermelon and mint. No feta at the moment, but some goat cheese might work (although I’ll bet the feta is better). Really nice — thanks.
John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Pasta Caprese
Hi John – I really hope you had a chance to make this. And yes, I’m sure the feta is better – the structure of feta goes better with the watermelon chunks, plus the saltiness of the feta makes the watermelon sweeter!
Besides tomatoes Watermelon is my favorite summer fruit and I love watermelon and feta salad. This is so refreshing and delicious.
apuginthekitchen recently posted…Long Bean In Tomato Sauce With Linguine
Thanks Suzanne – yes it is so refreshing. Hope you had a chance to make it!!
This is such a refreshing salad. I love it. A wonderful combination.
Thank you!!
Perfect way to enjoy the season bountiful harvest of watermelons and I love the fresh mint too.
Bam’s Kitchen recently posted…Berry and Peach Pudding Tart
Exactly!!
I love making this salad in summer but have never added Tabasco to it. I shall do that when next I make it 🙂
Tandy | Lavender and Lime recently posted…Recipe For Carrot Purée Ravioli
Tabasco adds a really nice zip, Tandy!!
I adore this salad Mary! Can’t wait for summer to make it over and over again – so refreshing!
Margot | Gather and Graze recently posted…A Little Slice of Australia… for FF#28!
Thanks Margot – don’t forget about it – summer is coming soon to you!!
Sweet and salty…a great combination. This salad looks very refreshing.
Angie (@angiesrecipess) recently posted…Chia Seed Nectarine Popsicles (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan)
Exactly Angie!!
A perfectly delicious summery salad 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted…Upside-Down Frown
yep!!
I love Jacques Pepin and would cook anything he said was good. What a clever man. I’ve made this salad before and it’s such a hit in the summer.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted…Massaman Curry Paste
Totally Maureen!!! I love all of Jacque’s recipes, as long as they’re not too complicated!!
As much as I love this salad, I have not made it even once this summer. So very refreshing and such a mood lifter. Thanks for sharing your favorite way to make it.
Ansh recently posted…Dim Posto – Egg Curry in Poppy Seeds Paste
Well why not, Ansh? I sure hope you made and got to enjoy it!!
Yum! I would eat watermelon with anything and this salad sounds delightful!
Thanks Angela!!
If you’ve got a salad from that long ago I know it is a keeper! My daughter would love this as well, we’re big fans of greek salad around here so it’s nice to see a new recipe that uses feta and tomatoes:D
Barb Bamber recently posted…Vegan Cherry Bomb Muffins
Oh heck Barb, I’ve got recipes a lot older that are keepers!! Hope you got to try this!
This is a nice and refreshing salad! nice one
Raymund recently posted…Peach and Apricot Muffin with Custard Filling
Thanks Raymund!!
OOOhhhhhhh, I love the addition of the olives in this salad! Fabulous!!!
Mimi recently posted…A Slight Rant
:))) Me too Mimi!! I love that the olives look like watermelon seeds – to fake you out!!