Watermelon Peach Salad
Juicy watermelon and ripe peaches are tossed with crisp cucumbers, salty feta, fresh mint, and a bright oregano vinaigrette for an easy summer salad.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes or melon balls
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons torn mint, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 sheet fresh feta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes (about ½ cup once cubed)
- 2 yellow peaches, sliced
- 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
For the Vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the watermelon, shallots, and mint in a large bowl with the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and add the sliced peaches, cubed feta, cucumbers and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter.
- In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad. Season with salt, pepper and extra mint.
Notes
- Marinate the watermelon for at least one hour before serving. Tossing watermelon with olive oil, shallot, and salt draws out some of its juice and allows those flavors to penetrate the flesh. Even a short marinating time transforms plain watermelon into something deeply savory and complex.
- Use feta packed in brine, not the pre-crumbled kind. Block feta stored in brine is creamier, saltier, and holds its shape when cubed. Pre-crumbled feta is drier and lacks the sharp, tangy bite that makes it work against sweet watermelon and peaches.
- Cut the feta into half-inch cubes rather than crumbling it. Cubed feta gives you distinct pops of salty creaminess in each bite instead of a dusty coating that melts into the dressing. It also keeps the salad looking intentional and restaurant-worthy on the platter.
- Slice peaches no more than 30 minutes before serving. Peaches oxidize quickly once cut and begin releasing excess juice that can water down the vinaigrette. Slicing them close to serving keeps their texture firm and their color bright.
- Add the peaches, feta, and cucumbers only after the watermelon has finished marinating. These ingredients are more delicate and do not benefit from extended time in acid or salt. Adding them at the last stage preserves their texture and prevents the cucumbers from going soft.
- Whisk the vinaigrette in a separate bowl and drizzle it on just before serving. Dressing the salad too early causes the watermelon and cucumbers to weep liquid, which dilutes the vinaigrette and turns the platter soupy. A last-minute drizzle keeps every component distinct.
- Chop the garlic finely rather than mincing it into a paste for the vinaigrette. Finely chopped garlic distributes flavor without releasing the harsh sulfur compounds that a paste does. It also gives you small visible pieces in the dressing, which adds texture to the finished salad.
- Tear the mint instead of chiffonading or chopping it. Tearing mint bruises it gently and releases its aromatic oils in a more controlled way. Chopping with a knife causes rapid oxidation that turns the edges black and mutes the fresh flavor.
- Slice Persian cucumbers into rounds at least a half inch thick. Thin slices of cucumber collapse under the weight of the other ingredients and lose their crunch quickly. Thick rounds hold their structure throughout serving and provide a satisfying textural contrast to the soft fruit.
- Season the watermelon marinade aggressively with kosher salt. Watermelon is almost entirely water and needs more salt than you think to bring out its sweetness. Under-salting at this stage means the finished salad will taste flat no matter how good the vinaigrette is.
- Let the vinaigrette sit for five minutes after whisking before drizzling it on. Resting the dressing allows the garlic, shallot, and oregano to bloom in the acid and oil. The flavors meld and mellow slightly, giving you a more cohesive dressing rather than sharp separate components.
- Serve the salad on a wide, shallow platter rather than in a deep bowl. A shallow platter lets you see all the distinct components and prevents the bottom layers from getting crushed under the weight of the watermelon. It also makes it easier to scoop without breaking up the feta cubes.
Nutrition (estimated)
Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 1002mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 4608IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg