Greek-Style Watermelon Salad | Mark Bittman

Summer heat makes you crave for a cooling treat. What’s better than watermelon juice or salad? I like putting together a watermelon salad with the simplest of ingredients: a smattering of cherry tomatoes, fresh mint and a sprinkle of feta and salt, that’s it. When I get more ambitious, I add chunks of jicama to watermelon for a play in contrasting texture. The most sophisticated and elaborate of all is a Greek-style watermelon salad.

Elaborate does not involve multiple steps or difficult operations. The Greek-style salad uses a few extra ingredients other than the watermelon. That includes tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, feta, fresh parsley and mint and a red wine vinaigrette. Finally toss all the ingredients in a salad bowl, drizzle the dressing all over and season with salt and pepper. All in a single easy step. For a complete Greek meal, I pair it with a moussaka.

Notably, to keep everything fresh and crunchy, I’d wait to make this salad right before you’re ready to eat. It’s best not to make the salad ahead. Alternatively, leave the watermelon and the dressing on the side, toss the salad at the very last minute.

The watermelon salad is utterly cooling and refreshing. Sweet and savory and astringent, the salad beautifully captures the ease of summer living — and the best of watermelon.

Print Recipe

Greek-Style Watermelon Salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed watermelon
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 small red onion
• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta
• Some chopped parsley and mint
• Olive oil and red-wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1

In a large bowl combine 3 cups cubed watermelon; 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped; 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped; 1 small red onion, sliced; 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives; 1/3 cup crumbled feta; and some chopped parsley and mint. Drizzle with olive oil and red-wine vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss and serve.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014895-greek-style-watermelon-salad