Salads Greek

The Kitty Feltham Watermelon Salad

Juicy watermelon with mint, jalapeño, feta and lime. It is sweet, salty, cool, spicy and named in honour of Sarah’s friend Alexis. Also, yes, the recipe warns you not to salt it too early unless watermelon soup was secretly the plan.

The Kitty Feltham Watermelon Salad

What It Is

This is a fresh watermelon salad with mint, jalapeño, feta and lime juice. It balances sweet fruit, salty cheese, fresh herbs and mild heat.

Origin

Watermelon-and-feta salads are common modern Mediterranean-style summer dishes, especially in Greek-inspired cooking. This specific version is a Dinner by the Minute creation named for Sarah’s friend Alexis.

Fun Fact

Watermelon is more than 90% water, which helps explain both its refreshing texture and why salt quickly draws out enough liquid to turn a salad bowl into a small inland sea.

Prep
15 min
Cook
—
Total
15 min
Servings
4 bowls
(double it if teenagers are involved)
Difficulty
easy
Gluten-Free Nut-Free
Diet
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Low-Carb
Away Mission
30 min walk
(roughly one away mission's worth of running from something that wants you dead)
#feta #jalapeno #mint #no-cook #summer #vegetarian #watermelon-salad

Ingredients

  • 8 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
  • ½ cup mint, sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • ½ cup feta cheese
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Steps

  1. Cut the watermelon into 1-inch cubes and drain in a colander, reserving the juice if desired.
  2. Slice the mint into thin strips.
  3. Seed and finely dice the jalapeño.
  4. Combine watermelon, mint and jalapeño in a large bowl.
  5. Crumble in feta, add lime juice and season with salt and pepper just before serving.
  6. Serve cold.

You Might Also Like

Darren’s Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Darren’s Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Salads · Greek The Greek Mediterranean Salad The Greek Mediterranean Salad Salads · Greek Hula Baloo TaleSpin Chicken Hula Baloo TaleSpin Chicken Entrees · Greek

Notes

The original cookbook correctly warns that salt will pull liquid from the watermelon. Hold the salt and feta until close to serving if making ahead.

Nutrition Facts
Per 1 bowl
Calories 130
Burning this off: a brisk argument with a Costco parking lot.
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.0 g 15%
Saturated + Trans 6 g 30%
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 250 mg 11%
Carbohydrate 9.0 g
Fibre 2.0 g 7%
Sugars 3.0 g 3%
Protein 3.0 g
Potassium 390 mg 8%
Calcium 75 mg 6%
Iron 2.3 mg 13%
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.
A genuinely respectable nutrition profile. No red flags here — go ahead and feel a little smug about it.

Substitutions

Use basil instead of mint. Omit jalapeño for no heat, or use serrano for more. Replace feta with goat cheese or a plant-based alternative.

Storage

Best served immediately. If preparing ahead, refrigerate the watermelon, mint and jalapeño separately and add feta, lime and salt just before serving.

Freezing

Do not freeze the assembled salad. Frozen watermelon can be used later in smoothies, but its thawed texture is poor for salad.