Celebrate summer with this Zucchini Watermelon and Feta Salad! SO easy to make and absolutely delicious! Sweet, refreshing and savory. . this might become your favorite summer salad using watermelon! I hope you try it!
Last week I was in Minneapolis with my kids and actually had to fly out to Arkansas for a quick trip for two days. I had a great time, but in the back of my mind I was thinking about my girls. I left them in Minneapolis to finish up their week at Korean Culture Camp and my sister and brother-in-law were watching them.
That night, I called them when I got back from dinner and Madeline says to me, “Mommy, I miss you so much I want to cry.” I tried to cheer her up by asking about her day at camp and she was playing with Peanut, my sister’s dog, which she loves. We hung up the phone and that night, I had a dream that something had happened at camp and all the kids had to be evacuated at the school and my kids were lost and couldn’t be found. Like something crazy happened and they couldn’t find my kids. My dream ended with my friend Face Timing me and showing me that she had found my girls and they were safe and sound. As soon as I saw them on the screen I started crying and I woke up immediately from my dream with tears in my eyes.
Maybe subconsciously I felt guilty for leaving them? I’m not sure why I had a dream like that but my sister told me they had a great time at camp, Madeline didn’t cry at all at drop off and was totally fine and that they didn’t miss me that much at all. Thanks?
As a mother, I question my decisions from time to time and although I am far from perfect, I do try to make good decisions. We have about four more weeks of summer and I have one more work trip to go on.
My husband, my great, loving and supportive husband, is taking a couple of days off to watch the girls so I can go to Nashville later this week. God bless him. We have our fair share of little fights and everything just like every married couple, but at the end of the day, I know he is the best husband and father the girls and I could ask for. So, thank you, Paul. I love you to the moon and back.
When I return from Nashville, I’m taking things easy. We have no more summer camps. We have no more ballet classes or other activities for the kids. We’re going to relax, go to the park and chill.
And eat lots of watermelon.
My kids are obsessed with watermelon. Watermelon slices (this is the photo that got me my $500 gift card to Anthropologie. Sorry, this is a sucky screen shot. I can’t find the original but it looks way better on Instagram. And over 24k likes?! wow!), watermelon balls and this zucchini watermelon and feta salad.
There’s even watermelon cake so we have to make this too. Isn’t this the most gorgeous cake you’ve ever seen?
This salad is light and fresh and just screams summer. It’s totally inspired by Food & Wine magazine and Chef Jacques Pépin (who I am meeting in October!!! more on that later!) has the brilliant idea of adding pitted black kalamata olives. I absolutely love the sweet and salty here. The olives are so unexpected and absolutely delicious!
And I added zucchini and strawberries. Because summer.
I love summer salads that feature fruit. My Simple Cantalope Salad is another great example, along with my Summer Berry Salad!
Make this healthy zucchini watermelon and feta salad and let’s enjoy these last few weeks of summer!!!
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine
Zucchini Watermelon and Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 seedless watermelon scooped into balls with a melon baller OR cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, chilled
- 1 to 2 cups strawberries sliced thin, optional
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives* coarsely chopped, optional
- pickled red onions chopped, recipe link below
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt or Maldon sea salt flakes optional
- 1 small zucchini unpeeled and sliced thin
- fresh mint leaves
- dill for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Using a large mixing bowl, add the watermelon balls or chunks, strawberries (if using), olives or pickled red onions, and feta. Drizzle on the olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice and toss together gently. Sprinkle on just a pinch of salt if desired.
- Arrange the zucchini slices on a platter and top with the watermelon and strawberry mixture. Garnish with the mint leaves and just a touch of dill for fun. Drizzle with a touch more olive oil and give another very light squeeze of lemon (if desired) and serve immediately.
Notes
