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WATERMELON, FETA AND BLACK OLIVE SALAD

As improbable as it might sound, this combination is utterly fantastic, both savoury and refreshing at the same time. You can pare it down to the essential contrast, and serve no more than a plate of chunked watermelon, sprinkled with feta and mint and spritzed with lime, but this full-length version is hardly troublesome to make and once made will, I assure you, become a regular feature of your table.

Recipe posted by Nigella

Ingredients

  • Express Recipe
  • Gluten Free
  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2-4 limes, depending on juiciness
  • 1.5 kg sweet, ripe watermelon
  • 250g feta cheese
  • Bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Bunch fresh mint, chopped
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 100g pitted black olives
  • Black pepper

Method

Serves: 8
  1. Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp. Two limes' worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.
  2. Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths is not my strong point). Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.
  3. Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don't lose their shape. Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime. Hava Negila! The taste of Tel Aviv sunshine!
  4. Additional information - for vegetarians make sure the feta is one that uses vegetarian rennet.
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Comments

  • My late Father, Greek to the core, would always swear that a meal was never complete without a bowl of fresh watermelon, Sheep's Feta, Kalamata Olives and the freshest, crustiest bread to mop up the gorgeous juices....Bless him, I couldn't agree more! xx

    Posted by GardenLarder on 16th Jun 2011 at 14.26

  • Dear Nigella, Being a Greek myself, I have to tell you that you have great imagination combining onion with watermelon :) We've never thought of it :) Great Recipe! Congratulations!!!!!

    Posted by polirene on 24th Jun 2011 at 12.51

  • We love this combination. The Turks love this with a sprinkling of pomegranate molasses added at the end. Delicious with chunks of village break mmmmm

    Posted by ToniEllen on 14th Oct 2011 at 12.41

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