Watermelon and Strawberries Salad

(c) Ed Valdizán

Ed: For every moment of summer relaxation and recreation there are always one or two dishes that go very well, and I have one of them for you today. This simple, fresh, delicious salad is made with chunks of watermelon, romaine lettuce, and slices of strawberries. It is finished with the delicious help of a dressing made with feta cheese and a sprinkle of crumbled bacon. It looks beautiful presented in the hollowed-out mini watermelon shells.

Watermelon is one of those fruits so refreshing because it´s so juicy that it’s like a drink in a bowl, isn’t it? It comes out in summer and there are lots of beverages and dishes we can make using this delicious but humble fruit.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere summer is a little shorter than the summer where I grew up in in South America, where we are grateful that we also have this delicious fruit called watermelon. Many people like to eat fruit when they begin their lunch or dinner and, why not? Mix fruit and veggies and sprinkle them with the right dressing and we will make the perfect salad.

Feta cheese is absolutely something that I like to use a lot with salads because it already has lots of flavor (since it is made with goat’s milk), and it is also a little salty, which in this recipe contrasts well with the sweetness of the watermelon and the sweet/sour of ripe strawberries.

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Watermelon and Strawberries Salad

A sweet-salty, crunch-juicy-creamy salad that will be the most refreshing part of any summer day menu

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword feta cheese, strawberry, watermelon

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 350 kcal

Author Ed Valdizan / comboplate.net

Ingredients

• 3 very small watermelons, about 3.5 pounds each such as Hime Kansen*
• ½ pound feta cheese or any goat cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• 3 romaine lettuce hearts
• 30 ripe medium-sized strawberries
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 2 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled

Instructions

1. Cut each small watermelon in half lengthwise, and then cut a tiny slice off the bottom of each half so that when filling and serving the halves as if they were bowls, they can stand firm and stable.
2. With a medium-sized kitchen knife, remove the pulp of each watermelon half. Cut from the edges towards the center, and when it is out, chop the flesh into pieces of about 1 inch square.
3. Chop the lettuce into medium-small pieces. Remove the stems of the strawberries and cut them into slices.
4. Whisk the feta cheese with the salt, white pepper and sour cream. Once that mixture turns soft and even, pour it in a small bowl and set aside.
5. In a large glass mixing bowl toss the watermelon cubes, strawberry slices, and chopped romaine. Fill your watermelon bowls with this mixture.
6. At serving time, drizzle some of the extra-virgin olive oil on top of each half melon filled with salad, then do the same with the honey. Spoon or poor your feta cheese dressing over the salad, then finish with a sprinkle of the salty-crunchy bacon bits on top for texture and flavor.

Recipe Notes

* Hime Kansen is a specialty watermelon with a thin rind that, because of its small size, is easy to fit in the fridge.