Savory Watermelon – Different and Delicious!
The ultimate summer salad – cold, crisp and refreshing. The classic combination of watermelon, feta and basil gets a twist in this version with the addition of red onion, cucumber, and a crispy shallot topping to add pizzaz!
I love a classic watermelon salad, and have one on this website with blueberries and feta, a perfect summer dessert. But I wanted to BE BRAVE and change it up a little, besides, I love adding savory to sweet – so I started experimenting and was really pleased with how this came out.
This actually reminded me of a watermelon salad I ate in Thailand that used fish sauce and Thai chilies which really amped up the savory! This is a more sedate version!
Savory Watermelon Salad with Crispy Shallots
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
1 small to medium watermelon (3-4 pounds or 4-5 cups of cubed watermelon)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, halved, deseeded and cut into half moons
4 oz or ½ cup of crumbled feta
12 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves removed
½ cup tightly packed basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 banana shallots, thinly sliced
¼ – ½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional and to taste)
½ cup O&V Unflavored EVOO *
¼ cup O&V Pomegranate vinegar *
Preparation
Thinly slice the shallots and place in a small saucepan with the chili flakes (if using). Pour in the Unflavored EVOO to cover the shallots. Place over a medium heat and allow to come to a slow simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and cook stirring occasionally until the shallots turn a deep golden brown (don’t be tempted to raise the temperature to speed up the process – evenly crispy shallots take a little time).
Strain the shallots and oil through a sieve collecting the oil in a heat proof bowl and let the shallots cool in the sieve. They will get crispy as they cool.
Add the vinegar, salt and pepper to the oil and allow to cool.
Peel and cut the watermelon into cubes (see chef note). Thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes to reduce the bite. Drain and pat dry. Halve the cherry tomatoes, deseed and slice the cucumbers, cut the feta into chunks or crumbles, and chiffonade the basil. Combine together in a big serving bowl, and sprinkle with the thyme leaves and a little salt and pepper.
Add the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the crispy shallots and serve immediately
Serves 6-8 servings
Active time 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes
Notes
* As with many of my recipes, the quality of the ingredients is critical to that delicious flavor and added health benefits. A good Unflavored EVOO is needed since the oil is used as the dressing on the watermelon salad and its flavor will be prominent. I love the flavor of the Pomegranate Vinegar but you can also substitute with a sweeter Agro dolce or Lavender vinegar
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores
Categories: Soups & Salads, Vegetarian, Vegan Option, Plant Based, Savory Watermelon Salad, Crispy Shallots, Pomegranate Vinegar, Agrodolce White Balsamic, Lavender Vinegar, Unflavored EVOO, Summer Side, Summer Entertaining, Gluten free
