Summer Watermelon Cucumber and Feta Salad

 (slightly adapted from Southern Living)

 Servings: about 10

This is a beautiful, colorful, and refreshing salad!  It makes enough to serve a crowd.  It's best when served no more than two hours after putting it all together; so it's not a great "make ahead" dish.  Great for a picnic or as a side dish to burgers, lowcountry boil, or to bring to a potluck dinner.  Mangia!

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup olive oil

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon

1 chopped sweet onion (optional)

1 diced, seeded English cucumber (or 3 mini cucumbers)

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and chopped mint. 

Toss with watermelon, cucumber, and onion.

Crumble feta cheese on top.

Serve immediately or refrigerate up to two hours before serving.

Tips: so that cucumber doesn’t drop to the bottom of the serving bowl, cube sizes of cucumber and melon should be similar.  I used about ¾ of the dressing and reserved the remainder to add if needed.