Recipes

Grilled Watermelon, Heirloom Tomato, Feta, Mint

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Watermelon salad from My Creole-Cali Kitchen

This is one of my favorite summertime salads to eat or serve to my guests. The sweetness of the watermelon, smokiness of the grill marks, brightness of the summer tomatoes, creaminess of the feta, and the hint of mint go so well together.

Note: Purple basil can add color to the salad and leaves a slightly sweet and spicy flavor similar to licorice, but if you do not have it or it is hard to find, regular Italian or Thai basil will also work.

recipe

yields

Serves 4

For the salad

1 small watermelon (6 cups diced)
Olive oil for drizzling
1 large heirloom yellow tomato
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 ounces feta cheese, sliced

For the garnish

1 ¼ cups Herb Vinaigrette (see below)
½ cup mint leaves, torn
½ cup purple basil (optional)

For the herb vinaigrette

Makes 1¼ cups
¼ cup good-quality sherry vinegar, such as Don Bruno
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 shallot, brunoise
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon honey
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

steps

Make the Herb Vinaigrette

In a stainless-steel bowl, add the sherry vinegar, stone-ground mustard, shallot, garlic, thyme, and honey. Whisk together and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the dressing until emulsified.
Add the salt and pepper and fold in the chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Transfer vinaigrette to an airtight container and store for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Make the Salad

Preheat the grill to 400.
Cut the watermelon into thick slices and drizzle the olive oil on them. Place watermelon on the grill for 1 minute on each side, until grill marks form and it’s slightly warm to the touch. Remove from the grill and cut the rind off the watermelon. Dice watermelon into large cubes. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Cut the yellow tomato into 16 wedges. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Place tomatoes in a bowl and set aside.
Slice the feta cheese into ¼ -inch-thick slices. Be careful not to break the feta.

Finish the Salad

Place watermelon on a plate. Add tomatoes in between the watermelon. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top of watermelon and tomatoes. Place feta cheese on top of salad. Garnish with the mint and purple basil, if using.

Date Published: 07.25.25