Watermelon Salads

My kids and I love summer watermelon. We usually just chomp on slices of it at the beach, but I recently incorporated it into two refreshing summer side salads.

The first was an adaptation of the classic Middle Eastern Tabouli Salad substituting watermelon for tomatoes. What a great idea! 🙂 The second was another classic Middle Eastern way of serving watermelon- with feta and basil. I made it for a party and was unable to capture it in a photo. You can (will have to!) imagine how pretty it looked. I had been unaware of how wonderful watermelon pairs with feta cheese- so simple and tasty.

The tabbouleh recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living and the watermelon-feta salad recipe was adapted from Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi. Fresh, seasonal and delicious.

Tabbouleh with Watermelon

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 1/4 cups water
• coarse salt
• 3/4 cup bulgur wheat (I used coarse red bulgur)
• 1 1/2 to 3+ cups peeled and coarsely chopped watermelon
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces soft goat or feta cheese, crumbled

1. Bring water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in bulgur, and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and let stand, uncovered, until cooled, 15 to 30 minutes. (I spread the cooked bulgur out on a rimmed baking sheet to speed the cooling process.)
2. Transfer bulgur to a bowl, and toss with watermelon, parsley, scallions, oil, lemon zest and juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Gently fold in cheese. Serve.

Watermelon, Basil & Feta Salad

Yield: Serves 4

• 10 oz block feta (preferable sheep’s milk)
• 4 to 5 cups of large-dice watermelon cubes
• 3/4 cups basil leaves, chiffonade
• 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• olive oil, for drizzling

1. Slice the feta into large but thin pieces, or just break it by hand into rough chunks.
2. Arrange all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil, on a platter or bowl, mixing them up a little.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the top and serve immediately.

One Year Ago:

• German-Style Bacon & Shallot Potato Salad

Two Years Ago:

• Green Couscous with Arugula

Three Years Ago:

• Gazpacho
• Tzatziki

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

View all posts by Josette@thebrookcook →