Full of summer's bounty with juicy sweet watermelon and fresh tomatoes, this delightfully easy Southern Watermelon Tomato Salad is the perfect summer side dish.
8cupsseedless watermelonabout 6 lbs, or ¾ of a small seedless watermelon, cut in 1-¼ chunks
3lbsripe tomatoescut in about the same size chunks as the watermelon, preferably heirloom if you can find them in assorted colors
1packagebaby arugula leaves5 oz package, or other salad greens
3tablespoonfresh basilchopped
1cupcup crumbled feta cheeseabout 4-5 ounces
½cupextra virgin olive oil
3tablespoonred wine vinegar
1-2teaspoonkosher salt or fleur de sel
½cuptoasted slivered almonds**
Instructions
Combine the watermelon and tomatoes in a large strainer over a bowl and add 1-2 tsp(s) of kosher salt or fleur de sel. Mix carefully and let stand and drain at least 15 minutes or up to 1-2 hours until you are ready to serve the salad.
To make the dressing, mix the olive oil and vinegar together in a small bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake well.
When you are ready to serve the salad, first put the arugula in a large shallow bowl.
Put the watermelon and tomato mixture in a large bowl or large plastic bag and add the dressing. Mix well but carefully. Then spoon this mixture on top of the arugula.
Sprinkle with the feta cheese slivered almonds and chopped basil. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Tips:To toast the almonds, simply put them in a small dry sauté pan over medium heat. Cook for about 4-5 minutes stirring frequently to make sure they don’t burn. They are done when you start seeing some of them develop a light brown color.This recipe can easily be modified to make more or fewer servings.[nutrition-label]