Watermelon, Feta & Spinach Salad

March 13, 2012mayurisjikoni
Blog post

Watermelon, Feta & Spinach Salad

Watermelon, Feta & Spinach Salad is delicious, refreshing and filling. It is a perfect salad for hot summer days. With feta, mint, spinach and olives it provides a balance of sweet and savoury flavours.

What is a Salad?

Salad is simply a mixture of raw or cooked vegetables and fruits served with or without a dressing. It may also contain other ingredients like meat, chicken, fish, grains, lentils, legumes etc to make it into a wholesome and healthy meal. Salads can be served as a starter or as a side with the main meal. These days one can enjoy a hearty salad on its own as a meal. I prefer serving watermelon, feta and spinach salad as a starter. However, that doesn’t stop me from enjoying it a light meal especially during the hot summer months.

A Cool Treat

Whenever the watermelon season begins in India or Kenya, I love to make Watermelon, Feta and Spinach Salad. Each spoonful or should I say forkful is a burst of refreshing flavors, sweetness from the watermelon, the saltiness from the feta and the refreshing taste from the fresh mint leaves. Raw spinach is good for health. Adding it to a salad makes it palatable. It makes a cool treat to enjoy as a light meal especially when its really hot during the summer.

My first experience enjoying this exotic Watermelon, Feta & Spinach Salad

You know how some supermarkets have recipe cards that you can pick up at the till or counter for free, I picked up the recipe card for this salad from Sainsbury. Next shopping trip to the supermarket I picked up the ingredients and made it at home. Not only was I pleasantly surprised with the burst of flavors but the family too enjoyed a totally different salad from the norm.

Health benefits of  Watermelon

Watermelon is not only refreshing, hydrating, cooling and low in calories but is rich in potassium, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamins B1, B5 and B6.Its high in carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lycopene. Plus, it has citrulline, an important amino acid. It also helps the digestive system, is believed to be beneficial for cancer patients, helps relive muscle soreness, is good for healthy hair and skin. No wonder watermelon is used in so many different ways.

How can Watermelon be used?

During summer months I like to make Watermelon Gazpacho, a cold soup, Watermelon Coconut and Rose Popsicles. Have you tried a fresh cooling Watermelon Iced Tea to beat the heat? A simple homemade Beetroot Watermelon Juice is healthy for kids and elderly who have an issue eating a balanced diet. As a light meal why not try out a Watermelon Cucumber Salad and end it with a super cool Watermelon and Mint Sorbet.

Dietary Tips:

  • Its Gluten free
  • For a vegan option replace the dairy Feta with a vegan cheese
  • As no onion or garlic is used, it Satvik friendly.

Lets get down to making this easy peasy salad. If you do not get baby spinach in your area, use normal spinach leaves, leave them whole or chop them up roughly.

Ingredients Required For Watermelon, Feta & Spinach Salad

  • Watermelon – red part. Cut into bite size cubes or scooped out with a melon scooper (melon baller).
  • Baby Spinach – washed and patted dry with a kitchen towel. If you don’t get baby spinach, chop up normal spinach. Or replace it with any other salad green.
  • Olives – add any, red, green or black.
  • Feta – cut into cubes or crumble it.
  • Mint Leaves – add for added flavour. Can replace them with fresh basil.
  • Olive Oil – for the dressing.
  • Vinegar – I use either red or white vine vinegar or lemon juice.
  • Salt – add according to your taste.
  • Pepper Powder – add according to your taste.
  • Sweetener – can add sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup if you want to. I don’t add any as the sweetness from the watermelon is sufficient.

watermelon feta spinach salad 1

watermelon feta spinach salad 2

watermelon feta spinach salad 3

watermelon feta spinach salad 4

 

WATERMELON, FETA & SPINACH SALAD

mayurisjikoni
Watermelon, Feta & Spinach Salad is delicious, refreshing and filling. It is a perfect salad for hot summer days. With feta, mint, spinach and olives it provides a balance of sweet and savoury flavours.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Light Meal, Salad, Starter
Cuisine International
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups watermelon cubes or balls
  • 12 -15 baby spinach leaves washed
  • 10 -12 black olives cut into halves
  • ½ cup feta cheese cubes or crumbled
  • ¼ cup mint leaves

Salad Dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp salt or according to your taste
  • ½ tsp coarse pepper powder
  • sweetener optional

Instructions
 

  • Cut the watermelon and keep in the fridge till required.
  • Chop the mint leaves. Pat dry the spinach leaves on a kitchen paper towel.
  • In a bowl mix the feta cheese, olives, spinach leaves and mint.
  • In another bowl mix the dressing ingredients.
  • To serve add the watermelon and dressing and toss the salad gently.

Notes

  • If you don't like Feta then replace it with Goat Cheese, paneer or halloumi cheese.
  • Can add thin slices of a small white onion.
  • Add other salad greens instead of spinach.
  • Add nuts like walnuts, pine nuts.
  • Add fresh basil instead of mint.
Keyword how to make watermelon, feta and spinach salad, watermelon feta salad, watermelon, feta and spinach salad

Pin for later:

watermelon, feta and spinach salad

A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either

  • add a comment below,
  • send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
  • tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
  • or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
 

30 Comments

  • Lekha Shastry

    March 14, 2012 at 4:35 am

    beat the heat! looks refreshing! 🙂

  • Mina Joshi

    March 15, 2020 at 7:37 pm

    Love watermelon and feta so this salad would be a hit in our home. Be lovely and cooling in the summer. Love the colours of this salad.

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 16, 2020 at 3:05 pm

      Thank you so much Mina, try it, its so delicious.

  • shobhakeshwani

    March 16, 2020 at 1:21 am

    I love these healthy and simple salads. These days all types of cheese and the salad greens are easily available in India. Very nice presentation.

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 16, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      Thank you so much and you’re right lots of different greens and cheeses are available in India.

  • Nayna Kanabar

    March 16, 2020 at 10:26 pm

    This is one of my favourite salads, it’s just so pretty and pleasing to the eye too.

  • Lata Lala

    March 20, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    Watermelon and feta cheese is always a hit combination. It’s my favorite salad Mayuri. The salad plate looks so inviting and full of beautiful colours. Lovely capture.

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 20, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      Thank you so much Lata, its my favorite too and I love salads that are colorful.

      1. mayurisjikoni

        March 26, 2020 at 2:46 pm

        Thank you so much Nayna.

  • Pavani

    March 22, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    Such a simple, colorful and refreshing salad that is. Love the juicy bite of watermelon in there – can’t wait for summer fresh watermelons to make this salad.

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 22, 2020 at 9:39 pm

      Thank you so much Pavani, its perfect as a summer salad.

  • Sandhya

    March 24, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    What a perfect salad for the summer Mayuri! I love the simple dressing on it as well a sit brings out the flavor of the watermelon. Your photos are stunning!

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 26, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      Thank you so much, from a a person whose photos are stunning, its a huge compliment for me. And yes simple dressing is all that is required for this juicy refreshing salad.

      1. Flavours Treat

        April 4, 2020 at 12:50 am

        I’ve paired watermelon with mint but spinach and feta sounds so refreshing and healthy. The dressing is so simple yet it elevates the taste. Must try salad in summer.

      2. mayurisjikoni

        April 4, 2020 at 11:01 pm

        Thank you so much Geetha, spinach adds a different taste altogether and also a good way to enjoy raw spinach.

  • blessmyf🍎🍏dbypayal

    March 24, 2020 at 11:40 pm

    Just loved the combo of trio. Your platter looks awesome with a beautiful and healthy combination of colours and ingredients

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 26, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      Thank you so much Shailender.

  • Sapna

    March 25, 2020 at 9:50 pm

    Wow such a refreshing and colorful watermelon salad. My family diner prefer feta, can I try it with paneer instead?

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 26, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      Sapna, I guess you can add paneer, as your family doesn’t like feta, add some extra lemon juice or vinegar to get that tangy taste. If you make the paneer at home, add some salt to it to mimic the feta.

  • Anshu

    March 26, 2020 at 11:42 am

    What a healthy and refreshing salad it looks. A yummilicious treat for the upcoming summer season!!

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 26, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Thank you so much Anshu, yes its perfect for summer.

  • Sandhya Ramakrishnan

    March 26, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    Mayuri, this salad has all the right flavors combined together. Love the sweetness from watermelon and saltiness from feta. I am growing some spinach and the baby soinach should be ready to pick soon. I will try this out.

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 26, 2020 at 9:41 pm

      Thank you so much Sandhya. Adding baby spinach will definitely make it more tasty. I had to use normal spinach as we don’t get baby spinach.

  • jayashreetrao

    March 27, 2020 at 10:58 am

    I love watermelon, it is ideal for the harsh summer. This salad looks so tasty and fresh. Never made this way, I make it with cucumber.

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 27, 2020 at 8:22 pm

      Try it when you can, its refreshing and healthy.

  • Sasmita Sahoo Samanta

    March 28, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    The salad with the comb of these trio looks so colorful ! Such a healthy combination… Perticularly watermelon time is here and one should try this salad 🙂

    1. mayurisjikoni

      March 28, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      Thank you so much Sasmita.. yes its a cooling salad.

  • Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey

    April 3, 2020 at 10:36 am

    Refreshing watermelon and feta go hand in hand, colourful and nutritious salad welcomed by anyone in summer days.

  • Lathiya

    April 3, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    This is such a simple yet flavorful salad. I love watermelon and hope to try this soon

    1. mayurisjikoni

      April 4, 2020 at 11:02 pm

      Thanks Lathiya.

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