watermelon mint feta salad / by Nate Everett

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Happy Memorial Day! The misty weather threw a little monkey wrench in my plans to grill baby back ribs and Caribbean corn on the roof, but such is life. I instead paid homage to the BBQing tradition that is Memorial Day by whipping up the simplest of summer salads in my kitchen. Behold the watermelon and feta and mint salad. I chose watermelon because it's American af, and I like serving it at BBQs because it helps guests stay hydrated in the sun and it balances out the heaviness of those cheeseburgers and fries and potato salad. Try it this summer-- perhaps for July 4th?

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recipe

  • 1 medium watermelon*, rind removed and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 cups mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 3 limes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Place the watermelon in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle on the mint leaves, and break up the feta with your fingers and distribute it onto the salad.
  2. To make the dressing, juice the limes in a small bowl and add the olive oil and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  3. Pour the dressing onto the salad. Fold several times to incorporate the ingredients, seasoning to taste with more lime juice if needed.
  4. Garnish with more crumbled feta and a spring of fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.

*Watermelons vary greatly in size, thus you will likely need to adjust the proportions of the other ingredients in this recipe to achieve a good watermelon-mint-feta-dressing ratio. It's a forgiving receive, so don't be shy about adding more until it tastes just right.

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