Watermelon, Feta & Basil Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette
This Watermelon, Feta & Basil Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette is a refreshing & flavorful salad for the summer days. The combination of sweet watermelon, salty feta, crunchy cucumbers & fresh basil are drizzled with a vinaigrette sweetened with strawberries and a touch of honey. This salad will be on repeat all summer long.
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Watermelon season means all things watermelon! There are a ton of watermelon & feta salads out there, but this one has a bit of a twist using a Strawberry Vinaigrette. This Watermelon, Feta & Basil salad has it all — sweet, tender, crunchy, salty, & and a of touch tart.
You might be catching on to it now, but I love really versatile food. This salad can be enjoyed as a side salad with any protein, atop a bed of greens (I love it as a “dressing” on top of arugula, that way I get the addition of the peppery element), or just as is!
WHAT WILL I NEED TO MAKE THE WATERMELON, FETA & BASIL SALAD?
You just need seven ingredients: watermelon, feta, basil, baby cucumbers, salt, pepper, & the strawberry vinaigrette.
That’s. It. So simple!
You can leave out the cucumbers if you don’t have it but I think adding a crunchy element really makes this salad even better. If you do use cucumbers, I suggest using baby cucumbers or english cucumbers as they don’t contain as much water in them, and we wouldn’t want to make our salad super soggy.
For the feta, make sure you’re using a good quality feta. I love using Boar’s Head Crumbled Feta because it’s never dry, and it’s flavorful and creamy. If you’re going to use a block of feta, make sure to use one that is in a brine so it’s not dry & that brine means it has a ton of flavor.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE?
This list is also very simple: Strawberries, extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt, pepper &, maybe some honey.
And what’s better is they’re all thrown in a blender or food processor and whizzed up. Easy peasy!
If you don’t have champagne vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar instead. Depending on how naturally sweet your strawberries are, you may not need the honey. After blending everything, give it a taste and adjust to your preference. If the dressing it too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If it’s too acidic, add a touch of honey and a little more olive oil. Adjust the salt & pepper to taste as well. Blend it all together once more & pour it into a jar with a cover. The leftovers are kept in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days.
The Strawberry Vinaigrette is also versatile. The recipe below will make a little under a cup and can be used various ways, such as:
- A dressing for any other salad you’re having throughout the week, like a kale & chicken salad, a romaine salad with berries & almonds, or a spring mix with apples & pistachios.
- A marinade for chicken or pork. You can marinate them for a couple hours and then bake or grill them up.
- A dip for carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, or anything! Penny loved snacking on this dressing with her kalamata olives.
- Making more Watermelon, Feta & Basil salad!
Hope you enjoy this delicious salad with your next meal, you’ll definitely be feeling all those summer feels!
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WATERMELON, FETA & BASIL SALAD
with a STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE
recipe for later
MORE SALAD RECIPES:
Chili Lime Mango Pico de Gallo
Watermelon Feta & Basil Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette
PrintIngredients
Watermelon, Feta & Basil Salad
- 4 heaping cups watermelon seedless, diced
- 2 baby cucumbers sliced into coins
- ⅓ cup feta crumbled or cubed, reserve a little bit for garnish
- ¼ cup basil cut chiffonade, reserve a little bit for garnish
- 2 tbsp Strawberry Vinaigrette
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Strawberry Vinaigrette
- 1 heaping cup strawberry tops cut off
- 3 tbsp champagne vinegar *see notes
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- honey optional, to taste
Instructions
- For the dressing: Throw the strawberries, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt, & pepper into a blender. Blend well. Taste the dressing. Depending on the sweetness of the strawberries, add some honey to taste. If the dressing is too tart or not tart enough, add a little more vinegar or olive oil. Blend once more to combine and then pour into a jar with a top. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
- For the salad: In a bowl, add the watermelon, cucumber, feta, basil, strawberry vinaigrette. Toss until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a little more feta & basil.