This is one of our family favourite salads for a summer BBQ – Watermelon Salad with Feta and Broad Beans. Where we want to have an alternative to the standard garden salad or bulk the salads out with some variety – this is that salad.
The Watermelon gives a refreshing texture, especially if it’s nice and cold. The sweetness of the Watermelon is the perfect partner to the tang of the Feta cheese.
We LOVE Broad Beans (fava beans). We grow in excess of 50 plants at the Allotment each year. The freezer is stocked with a few kg ready to be used after the harvest. You can easily substitute for other beans of your choice, all beans work well in this recipe.
We love the chunks of watermelon, cucumber and feta to be similar size. However, the key is to be rustic and tailor to your taste. A drizzle of Balsamic over the finished salad can also raise this salads game.
Thank you for reading, we hope you love this recipe. Above all, take this inspiration and make it your own. We would love for you to comment your variations below. Hope to see you again soon.
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Broad Beans
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing Bowl
- 1 Serving Bowl About 25cm in diameter will be ideal, but go with what you have
Ingredients
- 1/2 Small Watermelon
- 200 g Feta Or whatever size pack you can get from your supermarket.
- 1 Cucumber
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Lemons
- 1 handful Broad Beans
- 1 handful Fresh Basil
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- In the large mixing bowl add the olive oil, and squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons (taking care not to drop in any of the seeds)
- Chop each of the pointy ends of the watermelon off to make it easier to cut the watermelon into slices. Make sure you remove the white rind and get down to the flesh
- Stand the watermelon on one of its cut ends so it is stable. Then Carve off the rind. Follow the contours of the watermelon with the knife to remove all the rind and expose the flesh
- Cut 1 cm slices down the length of the watermelon. Save half of the slices and put them to one side, we won't be using them. With the remaining slices, lay them flat and gently slice 1 cm apart across the grain, making 1 cm cubes of Watermelon. Add to a large bowl (not the bowl you will be serving the salad in)
- Cut the feta into similar 1 cm cubes and add to the watermelon in the bowl
- Slice the tips off the cucumber, then slice them into 1cm or so cubes, then add to the watermelon and feta
- Roughly chop the Basil and add to the bowl
- Using your hands, gently toss the salad to get as much of the olive oil and lemon juice to coat the watermelon, feta and cucumber
- Transfer to the serving bowl, then gently scatter with the broad beans and give it a light season with pepper to your taste
- Enjoy now or pop covered in the fridge to eat later