Watermelon Feta Salad

Have you ever put watermelon into your salad? If not – it is about time!! 🙌🏻And you can start doing so right now with this beautiful Watermelon Feta Salad 😉. Once you have been there – it is a difficult route to turn back from – promise!! 🥰

Look at these gorgeous colors!! They were all I could think about when shooting this salad – how gorgeous the red, blue, and white works against the backdrop of the green 😍. This dish is so refreshing, juicy, delicious, and easy to make – it is honestly such a feast. You will get salty notes from the feta, sweet notes from the watermelon and blueberries, bitter notes from the greens and balsamic reduction, pungent notes from the onion, and little hints of freshness from the mint. It is an all-rounder – and it will leave you feeling totally satisfied and in heaven-deliciousness 😉.

Why is this Watermelon Feta Salad good for you?

Dark, leafy Greens

These little gems are a powerhouse in nutrients. Obviously, the nutritional profile depends on which ones you eat specifically – but they tend to have a few things in common. Dark leafy greens are high in Vitamin A, C, E, and K, and B9. They also contain antioxidants that can block the early stages of cancer. Vitamin K is needed to produce a protein in the body, which is essential for blood clotting and your bone’s metabolism. It also plays a role in ensuring that calcium levels in the blood are regulated. Additionally, Vitamin K also has a hugely anti-inflammatory effect, which further protects our bodies from disease. Vitamin B9 (also called folate) is essential for DNA duplication, and repair mechanisms. It is particularly important during stages of rapid growth, such as pregnancy.

Watermelon

Beautiful, juicy watermelon 🥰. I absolutely adore this fruit in the summertime (just in case this is not clear from my previous lines 😉)!! Watermelon contains mainly water (as the name suggests…), about 92%. Aside from water, it contains Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, and Magnesium. Watermelon also contains two plant compounds called “Lycopene” and “Cucurbitacin E”. Lycopene belongs to the carotenoid family and gives Watermelon its bright red color. Whereas usually, carotenoids get converted into Vitamin A in the body, Lycopene does not. Instead, Lycopene may help lower cholesterol levels, as well as blood pressure. It may also decrease oxidative damage to cholesterol in your body.

Blueberries

Sweet, gorgeous blueberries. They are so in season right now here in Europe and I absolutely adore them. They are great in dishes like this, strewn on or in pancakes (like my Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes), or are also a great addition to baked goods (like my Lemon Blueberry Polenta Bread). Blueberries contain a plant compound called “anthocyanin”, which is responsible for its vivid blue color and most of its associated health benefits. These little berries contain Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Phosphorus, Manganese, and Vitamin K. All of these provide support for healthy bones (as we also just covered above 😉). Blueberries are filled with Vitamin C, which can help to prevent skin damage, as it plays a vital role in supporting the production of collagen. Additionally, you can find fiber, Potassium, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and phytonutrients in blueberries that are all supportive of your heart health.

How can I adjust this recipe to my dietary requirements?

This recipe is vegetarian and nut-free. If you would like to make this dish both vegan and paleo – simply omit the feta cheese. You may want to add a bit of salt, as you will not get this from the cheese now.

There are no progress pictures this week – I tried to take some, but honestly, the salad is so easy to make… it does not need a lot of explanation – just a bit of cutting 😉.

And this is it for this week 🥰. I hope you enjoy this beautiful, summery salad and have it around for a light, delicious summery evening meal or your next BBQ. Do let me know how you like the recipe – I love hearing from you!! You can find me over on Instagram or leave a comment below 🤗.

Watermelon Feta Salad

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: Mains, sideCuisine: EuropeanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

This Watermelon Feta Salad is a gorgeous, healthy, summer salad! It comes together super easily and is a perfect addition to your summer meals.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120 ml) balsamic vinegar

• 1 medium-sized red onion

• 3 + ½ packed cups (125 gr.) mixed salad leaves

• ¾ cup (125 gr.) blueberries

• 3 cups (ca. 500 gr. I measured the gram count including the peel) cubed watermelon

• ½ cup (60 gr.) crumbled feta

• A large handful of mint leaves, finely cut

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Cracked black pepper

How to

• Start by putting the balsamic vinegar into a pot and put it on medium heat in order to create a reduction. Let reduce until you are left with roughly half of the liquid – this will depend on your stove but mine took ca. 20 minutes
• Peel and cut the red onion in thin slices. Cover in hot water for 5 minutes in order to take a bit of the pungent flavor out
• Wash and dry the mixed salad leaves and blueberries and add to a bowl. Take off the peel of the watermelon and cube. Add to the bowl. By now your onions will have likely sat in the water for 5 minutes. Take them out of the water and also add to the bowl. Add the crumbled feta and cut mint leaves
• When the balsamic vinegar has reduced, add to a small glass jar, along with the olive oil and shake. Pour onto salad and add a good dose of black pepper. Mix everything through and ENJOY this summery, delicious salad!!