Author Notes
This salad hovers satisfyingly between sweet and savory. Local melons shine in late summer, with produce stands piled high with fresh watermelons and cantaloupe. Serving watermelon with a shake of salt is an old trick for accenting its flavor. Here, the salty tang of feta revisits that technique, which works equally well to highlight cantaloupe’s sweetness.
Tips:
Allow the honey to release from the measuring spoon more easily by first pouring a little of the olive oil on the spoon.
To cut the basil into ribbons, stack similarly sized leaves and roll them up cigar-style on the longest side. Use a sharp knife to cut the basil into thin strips.
For the Master Recipe for Instant Pot Beans (and more salads), go here. —Daniel Shumski
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
2 cups
seedless watermelon or cantaloupe, in small cubes or balls
-
2 cups
English cucumber, cut into quarters lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch slices
-
2 1/2 cups
cooked black beans
-
3/4 cup
cubed feta cheese (approximately 1/4-inch cubes)
-
1/4 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
-
1 teaspoon
honey (see Tips, above)
-
1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more for serving
-
1
large handful basil leaves, cut into ribbons (see Tips)
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
-
In a serving bowl, mix the melon, cucumber, beans, and feta.
-
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the honey and lime juice.
-
Add the basil to the serving bowl and then drizzle the dressing over the salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Go easy on the salt; the feta is salty.) Toss to combine.
-
Serve chilled or at room temperature, spritzed with lime juice just before serving. This salad can be assembled in advance without basil and refrigerated for a day; in this case, add the basil just before serving.
See what other Food52ers are saying.