Watermelon Feta Salad with Honey Lime Balsamic Vinaigrette

This watermelon feta salad recipe is so complex in flavor yet it's so easy to make! Just imagine watermelon, cucumber, feta, and tomato combined with a super flavorful dressing that is just perfect for a hot day, cookout, or anything in between.

Ingredients

• Watermelon-a melon that adds a touch of sweetness to the salad
• Feta Cheese-briny Greek cheese made from sheep's milk or a combination of sheep and goat milk; gives the salad small bits of tangy, cheesy taste
• Cucumbers-a subtle vegetable that absorbs liquid well
• Grape Tomatoes-oblong tomatoes that have thicker skin as opposed to their counterpart, the cherry tomato; gives the salad added texture and complex flavor
• Balsamic Vinegar- the main ingredient in the vinaigrette. It adds deep, concentrated flavor to the dressing
• Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice- adds a tangy touch to the dressing
• Honey-adds sweetness to the balsamic vinaigrette
• Fresh Oregano-adds a bit of robust, peppery flavor
• Fresh Mint- a subtly sweet, refreshing element
• Chili Powder-adds a subtle bit of spice to the dressing
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil-acts as the binding agent to the other liquids in the dressing
• Salt & Pepper-brings out the flavors in all of the ingredients

Process

Since there is no cooking involved here, the main focus is on the prep work. I highly recommend making the dressing first; this way all of the herbs and spices will get a chance to marinate together. Chopping up all of the vegetables is where most of the work is involved. Keep in mind that everything will need to be in bite-sized pieces so consider this ahead of time. I chopped everything into about half-inch cubes (give or take). No rulers were involved here, I just eye-balled everything and thought about how many pieces would fit onto a fork.

What to serve with Watermelon Feta Salad

This would be great alongside grilled foods! It would be wonderful to take to a summer potluck especially if you want to wow your guests and are looking for more of a non-traditional salad. Grilled chicken, potato salad, burgers, and grilled fish would all work exceptionally well together!

How to store Watermelon Feta Salad with Honey Lime Balsamic Dressing

This type of salad is best stored in an airtight container. If making ahead or saving for leftovers, do not add the dressing; doing so will cause the vegetables to release their liquids which will result in a watered-down salad with accompanying dressing. Store this salad for no more than two days in the refrigerator to capture the best flavors of the dish.

Tips for making Watermelon Feta Salad

• Serve chilled- After you've cut everything into pieces, you can chill them separately before combing the salad and lastly, drizzling the dressing on top.
• Make the dressing first
• Use fresh-squeezed lime juice if you can

How to make Honey Lime Balsamic Vinaigrette

Simply put, chop up all herbs, squeeze lime juice into a bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients. You can finely chop the herbs or leave them in larger pieces to make their flavors more pronounced.

Variations

The variations of this cucumber watermelon feta salad speak more to the presentation as opposed to changes in the actual recipe. There are many different ways to present this salad. Of course, you can place everything into a bowl and drizzle the dressing on top or arrange it on a plate in rows as shown below for a more dramatic effect. If you'd like to get really creative, imagine these ingredients on a skewer or inside of individual serving cups.

Substitutions

You can use crumbled feta instead of cutting it up yourself.

Store-bought lime juice can be used in place of fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Dried oregano can also be used. Just keep in mind that dried herbs are more potent than fresh herbs so for every one tablespoon of fresh herbs, use one teaspoon of dried herbs.

If you make this recipe please rate and review on the recipe card below. I would love for you to tag me on Instagram @belovedplate https://www.instagram.com/belovedplate/

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https://belovedplate.com/ahi-tuna-salad-with-roasted-garlic-orange-balsamic-vinaigrette/

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