December 2, 2024

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Simply The Best Food

Watermelon Feta Salad with Greek Oregano

Watermelon Feta Salad with Greek Oregano

This Watermelon Feta Salad is so simple it doesn’t really need a recipe you can just use this as a guide.

Feta and watermelon cut into cubes with greek oregano

It’s not an obvious combination – watermelon, and salty Greek feta – but wait until you taste the two of these together. It’s savoury and sweet all at once. Watermelon is absolutely a reminder of summer and this sweet juicy salty combo is a Greek summer favourite.

Summer time in Greece. Two cats at home
How I remember Summer in Greece<3

It’s a fancy looking square salad that will impress in looks but, it’s the simple combination of flavours that will make it even more memorable. All I add is the main ingredients but the flavour that gives this salad its character is the almost pungent Greek oregano. For me the addition of soft onion flavoured chives and Greek olive oil is my perfect welcome to summer salad.

Watermelon and feta cut up and staked on a plate

Is oregano the same all over the world?

No it isn’t.

Although widely used all over the Mediterranean oregano is also a classic herb in Mexico and Argentina. Mexican oregano is far more lemon/ citrus flavoured and not as savoury. The deeply savoury and slightly pungent species grown in Greece makes other varieties seem a little mild. The climate in Greece is so dry it intensifies the plant that often grows weedlike all over the place. Eating Greek food without this ubiquitous herb on everything from Greek Salad topped with feta to grilled meats and seafood simply slathered with oregano, lemon and greek olive oil, is unthinkable.

Greek salads on aplate with oregano

How do I customise my Watermelon Feta Salad?

You may just want to customise your watermelon feta salad, and why not? You can customise it by tossing your squares together with cucumber, salty black olives and mint. You could also raise the bar by keeping it stacked adding thinly sliced red Spanish onion, some peppery watercress tendrils and drizzling with a sweet balsamic dressing. The most important thing is to make sure you add some Greek Oregano because there is no flavour like it. I buy all Greek products here if you are looking for proper Greek organic oregano.

Squares of watermelon and feat on a plate

With a hunk of bread, it’s a lovely light lunch; and with grilled meat or fish and taramasalata, you could be on the beach. If you have been to Greece it will take you back to a taverna, with your feet in the sand. I hope you get to experience this one day if you haven’t already.

A taverna on the beach in Greece

Watermelon feta salad is not really a recipe – But a great idea!

I like a simple squeeze of lemon just before serving but if you want to shake yourself a dressing and include a wine vinegar you still can’t go wrong. I just make sure I have a good sized glug of golden Greek oil and a crack of black pepper. Or for an extra flavour bomb, try a flavoured oil. I tried Majestic a blend of 3 olives plus lemongrass. OMG it’s a really unexpected combination that elevates this simple salad to cult status.

Feta and watermelon salad

Watermelon and Feta Salad

A classic Greek summer salad that is perfectly sweet and salty. Make it as simple or add some extras.

Course Appetiser, dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine greek

Ingredients  

  • 200 gm Greek Feta cut
  • 11/2 kg watermelon cut and deseeded
  • 1/2 teaspoon Greek oregano dry
  • 1/2 bunch chives 1 tsp chopped fine
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions 

  • This salad is delicious no matter how it is cut, but it certainly looks very striking cut into squares

  • You should be able to get around nine even squares of feta from the 200 gm block. Cut into even fingers first and then into cubes. Measuring each one against the other to get them even in size

  • De-rind the watermelon and lay it on its side. Take out any seeds and slice into pieces the thickness of the feta. Cut across the slices to make fingers. Measure the size of the square to cut it into by putting a piece of feta up against the watermelon finger and cutting the piece into a perfect square the same size as the feta. You will have more watermelon than you need

  • Pile neatly in alternate squares in two layers. Finish with a sprinkle of oregano, chives and olive oil

  • Serve with a slice of lemon to squeeze when you serve. This salad will make enough for 4 as a side but double the cheese to serve 6 -8. You may only need just a little extra watermelon up to 2 kg. This is a side but you could eat it like candy too, so maybe a double mix would be best!!

Notes

You can also serve this with black olives, diced cucumber, and watercress or rocket.
A drizzle of nice sweet balsamic would be great too.
Get Greek products here

Keyword gluten free, greek salad