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
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.
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If you do try this recipe then please either
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