A bright, refreshing tomato and watermelon salad is the perfect side dish for a hot summer day.
What really makes this recipe shine is the crumbled feta cheese and the slivered almonds.
Don’t skimp on them.
The almonds add a much needed crunch and the creaminess of the feta perfectly offsets the tartness of the red wine vinegar.
In addition to the almonds, I call for a flaky salt in this recipe for added crunch.
I keep Maldon Salt on hand in my kitchen. It goes great on other things like a pan-seared steak or homemade soft pretzels. If you don’t have Maldon Salt and don’t want to buy it for this recipe, you can substitute regular coarse kosher salt. Just cut the quantity back to 1/2 a teaspoon.
Whatever you do, don’t skip the salt altogether unless you’re on a low sodium diet. A little kosher salt brings out an enormous amount of flavor in both watermelon and tomatoes.
Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 small seedless watermelon - about 2 pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 lb. tomatoes - cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp. flaky salt - I use Maldon Salt
- 3 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil - quality matters
- 1 tbs. red wine vinegar
- 1 tbs. sweet basil - finely chopped
- 1 tbs. mint - finely chopped
- 1 cup watercress or other bitter greens - leaves separated, tough stems discarded
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 cup feta cheese - crumbled
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds - toasted
Instructions
Before You Leave Home
- Place 1 tbs olive oil in a small skillet and heat on medium-high. Once the oil is hot, toast the almonds for about 10 minutes until toasted. Drain on paper towels, then place in a small resealable container.
At the Campsite
- Combine diced tomatoes and watermelon in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped herbs, the watercress, red wine vinegar, and black pepper. Gently mix until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Top each serving with plenty of feta and sliced almonds.
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