Description
Ree Drummond’s tomato watermelon salad combines sweet summer produce with tangy feta cheese and fresh herbs. Refreshing ingredients create a simple yet elegant side dish that brings Mediterranean flavors to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1¼-inch cubes (about 1360 g / 48 oz)
- 4 to 6 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1¼-inch cubes (about 680 to 1020 g / 24 to 36 oz)
- 1 cup (240 g / 8 oz) feta cheese, crumbled into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsps (30 ml / 1 fl oz) sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Uniformly dice ripe tomatoes and watermelon into precise cubes, ensuring consistent texture and visual appeal.
- Marinating: Transfer cubed produce to a large mixing bowl, sprinkle kosher salt, and allow ingredients to macerate for 5-10 minutes, releasing natural juices and amplifying flavor profiles.
- Vinaigrette Creation: Whisk extra virgin olive oil and aged sherry vinegar in a separate bowl until achieving a smooth, integrated emulsion, then season with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt to create a perfectly balanced dressing.
- Cheese Integration: Crumble premium feta into moderate-sized fragments, then gently incorporate into the tomato-watermelon mixture without disrupting the delicate ingredients’ structure.
- Final Assembly: Delicately drizzle prepared vinaigrette across the salad, ensuring even distribution without overwhelming the fresh components.
- Serving: Present immediately at cool room temperature or briefly chill to maximize the salad’s refreshing essence, highlighting the vibrant summer flavors and textures.
Notes
- Timing Salt Technique: Let salted tomatoes and watermelon rest 5-10 minutes to release natural juices and intensify flavors, creating a more dynamic taste profile.
- Emulsion Whisking Tip: Vigorously blend olive oil and sherry vinegar to create a smooth, well-integrated dressing that coats ingredients evenly.
- Cheese Crumbling Strategy: Break feta into moderate pieces to complement, not overpower, the delicate watermelon and tomato textures.
- Serving Temperature Hack: Serve at cool room temperature or quickly chill to maximize the salad’s refreshing summer essence, ensuring optimal taste and texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg