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Side view of a forkful of Greek Farmer's Salad

Greek Farmer's Salad with Watermelon

Course: Accompaniments
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 15 minutes
salting time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 or 10 side dish servings
Author: Marta Rivera
This easy-to-assemble salad is crisp, cool, and perfect for your BBQs and cookouts.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette

  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 6 sprigs fresh oregano leaves (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey or agave

Greek Farmer's Salad

  • 1 small seedless watermelon (about 4#), skinned and cut into 1" chunks
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced 1/2" thick
  • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounce jar of Kalamata pitted olives, drained
  • 8 ounces feta cheese, diced into 1/2" cubes
  • 5 ounces arugula, optional

Instructions

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette (Prepare up to a week in advance)

  • Add the olive oil and lemon juice to a wide-mouth, pint-size mason jar.
    Roughly chop the herbs, then add them to the jar, along with the crushed garlic, kosher salt, ground pepper, dijon mustard, and honey (or agave).
  • Cap the jar and shake vigorously to emulsify the dressing.
    Store this in the fridge for up to a week, or use it as soon as you finish assembling the salad.

Salt the Watermelon

  • Place the cubed watermelon into a colander set inside the sink (or in a larger bowl).
    Salt them with a tablespoon of kosher salt. Let the salt leach the water out of the melon for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Assemble the Greek Farmer's Salad

  • In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cucumber, onion, olives, feta cheese, and the salted watermelon.
  • Give the Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette another vigorous shake to re-emulsify it and pour half of the dressing over the salad.
    Toss the salad together and give it a taste. Add more vinaigrette dressing if you'd like, or leave it on the side for drizzling on later.
  • Serve the salad on a bed of arugula, for a heartier dish.
  • Keep the salad refrigerated until ready to serve. This Greek Farmer's Salad tastes best when eaten the day it's assembled.
    Refrigerate any leftovers, but enjoy them within 2 days.

Notes

There may be some pooling of liquid at the bottom of the salad bowl from the cucumber and watermelon. Just use a slotted spoon to serve the salad in case this occurs.