With the limited amount of outdoor space in NYC, we have to be creative when growing plants. I grow fresh herbs on our balcony and to conserve space, they’re all squished next to each other in my flowerbeds. The basil plants have outgrown the other herbs, so I’ve been coming up with new recipes incorporating basil in my cooking. This particular salad was inspired by a recent trip to a new beer garden in our neighborhood that served this on their menu and I think my version tastes just as good!
An 8-10 pound watermelon will work just fine for this salad. The recipe is super simple and refreshing, and if you love watermelon and basil, it’s the perfect dish to serve on a hot summer day.
Recipe Below…
Prep your ingredients. Slice onions and chop watermelon and basil.
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, agave, salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss.
Garnish with basil leaves and serve cold or at room temperature.
Basil Watermelon Salad with Feta and Red Onion
Cut watermelon into bite-size chunks, roughly chop the basil and slice red onion. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, agave nectar, salt and pepper. Add watermelon, onion and basil, then crumble feta on top and toss gently. Garnish with more basil if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Total Time: 10-15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
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We’ve been having a “heat wave” in San Diego (and I’m so not going to complain because I know all my family and friends on the east coast and in Chicago would kill me-but still, ugh) so this was the perfect thing to make. It was delicious! I made it for our family on Friday night, and then added to the leftovers and brought it to friends’ last night-huge hit! I’m not a real melon fan, but with the basil and the feta, and for a hot night: perfection.
Thank you, Heidi! We loved this salad too. I made a big batch then chilled it in the fridge…perfect to have on a really hot day. I’ll be in LA next month so hopefully the “heat wave” will cool down by then 🙂