Watermelon Salad – Summer in a bowl
Mangoes and watermelon are classic summer fruits and now is a great time to celebrate Labor Day with a cool, colorful and refreshing salad made with crisp and juicy watermelon…I think this might even work with an almost ripe mango (like in mango salsa).
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco or a pinch of red chili powder or one jalapeno (halved or chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- One 8-pound seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into bite sized chunks (10 cups), chilled
- 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
- 1 1/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
- 1 small red onion, roughly chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves & basil
- 2 cups of baby arugula or any other salad leaves chopped (optional)
Method: In a large bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco/chili and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta, olives, arugula and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve immediately. Make this just before serving to ensure the crispness of the watermelon
You can use this as basic recipe and jazz it up by adding one or more of the following: cherry tomatoes, blueberries, almonds, cooked orzo/any small pasta, diced cucumbers/avocados, sliced fennel or red radishes.
Shobha Daniell
