This Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad with mint and basil has an amazing balance of sweet and savory flavors, making it a perfect summer salad! It is light, refreshing, cool and the sweet and salty flavors complement each other really well.
If you are looking for watermelon recipes this summer, you should try this easy Watermelon Salad recipe . This watermelon cucumber salad with feta makes for a simple yet awesome side dish, that is really easy to put together and yet one that will land you loads of compliments!
Crisp, sweet and refreshing watermelon, cooling cucumber, salty and creamy feta, the tang from the lemon and the fresh mint and sweet basil all marry together to make this wonderfully delicious summer salad.
Serve this salad as a side with your favorite protein and you have a delicious meal! Or make some for your next barbecue party!
You can customize this Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad as you like. There are a couple of variations you can adapt using this as a base. Skip the onions if you don’t like them, or add other herbs, cilantro, perhaps?
You can add nuts for some crunch. Skip the cucumber and basil to make a watermelon feta mint salad, or skip the basil to make a watermelon cucumber mint salad. This salad is best served right away as it can get watery if left to sit for too long. So scale the recipe as per your requirement to avoid any wastage.
If you know me, you know I don’t prefer much of salads. There are very few fresh salad recipes up my alley like this zero oil zesty mung sprouts and corn salad , Caprese salad, chickpea salad with Greek yogurt dressing, spinach salad with strawberries and feta, classic Greek salad, and my recent favorite, Mediterranean quinoa and chickpea salad , amongst a few.
But I love this summer watermelon salad for its sweet and salty flavor profile, something about a mix of the ingredients that makes the watermelon taste even sweeter! .Do try this combination if you haven’t yet. And if you already have, I’d love to know the variations you use, I’d like to try those too 🙂
Let’s make some yummy Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad with mint and basil !
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE WATERMELON CUCUMBER FETA SALAD
- HOW TO MAKE WATERMELON CUCUMBER FETA SALAD?
- Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad | Watermelon Salad
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE WATERMELON CUCUMBER FETA SALAD
1.In a small bowl, add olive oil, lime/lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper, whisk well to combine. You can also add some zest of the lime or lemon.
2.In a large bowl, add watermelon, cucumber, onion, mint, and basil leaves. Pour the dressing over the watermelon salad and toss gently to combine.
3.Sprinkle the salad with crumbled feta cheese, and serve right away.
NOTES
- This salad is best served chilled. I cut the watermelon cubes, and place them in a colander over a bowl covered in the refrigerator. This helps in draining excess juices, so you have a chilled salad that can be served right away.
- You may skip/add ingredients, to make different variations to suit your palate.
- If you like more dressing in your salad, feel free to double the dressing recipe.
- If you do not like using raw onions directly in the salad, you may submerge the thinly sliced onions in cold water for 15 minutes, this will remove the pungency of the onions. Drain the water and use as directed in the recipe.
HOW TO MAKE WATERMELON CUCUMBER FETA SALAD?
Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad | Watermelon Salad
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 5 cups seeded and diced watermelon, about 1-inch* (Refer notes)
- 1 English cucumber, approx 2 cups diced cucumber
- 1/3 cup sliced red onions
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, or as desired
- 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Lime/lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp honey optional
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, lime/lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper, whisk well to combine.
- In a large bowl, add watermelon, cucumber, onion, mint, and basil leaves. Pour the dressing over the watermelon salad and toss gently to combine.
- Sprinkle the salad with crumbled feta cheese, and serve right away.
Notes
I would love to hear from you, please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Facebook @ Aromaticessence
Pinterest @ Aromatic Essence
Instagram @ aromatic_essence77
Twitter @ freda_dias
Regards,
Freda
Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad | Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 5 cups seeded and diced watermelon, about 1-inch* (Refer notes)
- 1 English cucumber, approx 2 cups diced cucumber
- 1/3 cup sliced red onions
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, or as desired
- 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Lime/lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp honey optional
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, lime/lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper, whisk well to combine.
- In a large bowl, add watermelon, cucumber, onion, mint, and basil leaves. Pour the dressing over the watermelon salad and toss gently to combine.
- Sprinkle the salad with crumbled feta cheese, and serve right away.
Notes
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #UndeniablyDairy #CollectiveBias
This Rava Sheera aka Sooji ka halwa (Indian Semolina pudding) is a quick fix, delicious and wholesome treat! Semolina is known as Rava or sooji and halwa is pudding. It is prepared with semolina, ghee, milk, sugar and flavored with cardamom powder and saffron. Enjoy it warm along with some hot chai or coffee for breakfast or as a snack!
This rava sheera | sooji ka halwa | semolina pudding is prepared differently throughout India and is also known by different names. For example, sheera in Maharashtra, sooji ka halwa in North India, xiro (pronounced Sheero) in Goa, and kesari in southern Indian states to name a few! The only difference is in the quantities of ingredients, some of them don’t use milk and are made entirely with water. Ghee is an important ingredient and a must in all! No matter how they are prepared, it is equally delicious and satisfying!
People enjoy this pudding for breakfast in Maharashtra and southern India. It is also prepared on auspicious days in India!
This semolina pudding is truly rich, and taste divine with that strong aromatic flavor of ghee (clarified butter) and the richness of milk shining through. The exotic flavors, the aroma of saffron and cardamom add another layer of goodness to this humble dish making it quite addictive.
I like to prepare this sooji ka halwa with milk and a little water. It makes this pudding more wholesome and tastier. Everyone has their own preference, but this is the way I always make it!
Ghee is the heart and soul of this semolina pudding. The aroma of semolina roasting in ghee is so fragrant and divine!
Ghee is an integral part of Indian cuisine! It has a high smoke point, make it ideal for deep-frying, sautéing or even baking. It is also lactose and casein free, loaded with fat-soluble vitamins and has a strong buttery flavor adding a distinctive taste to any dish, that cannot be missed!
- To make this rava sheera | semolina pudding you will require just 5 ingredients
- Step by step instructions to make rava sheera
- HOW TO MAKE RAVA SHEERA?
- Rava Sheera | Sooji Ka Halwa | Indian Semolina Pudding
To make this rava sheera | semolina pudding you will require just 5 ingredients
- Semolina
- Ghee
- Sugar
- Water
- Milk
- A mix of dried fruits
This will store well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Also due to the sugar content, it does not spoil easily.
I like to make a big batch and store some in the refrigerator to enjoy later for a quick snack. Moreover, my kids absolutely love this pudding which is why I make it at least once a week.
I believe food connects us to our memories. Rava sheera is one that always makes me nostalgic every time I eat it. It sends me down memory lane when I would return from school to find some sheera kept ready for me by my Grandma. And it was always presented to me in a fancy shape!
Did you know the month of June celebrates dairy products and dairy farmers?
From the time I’ve stopped breastfeeding my kids, they transitioned and took to cow’s milk pretty smoothly. My son loves his glass of milk and will not go a day without it. His day begins with milk for breakfast and ends with it at night. Four years now and he proudly shows off his mustache each time he finishes off the glass of milk.
Knowingly or unknowingly, the first food of our lives; the start of our day; even the end of an Indian meal happens with a dairy product. I was fed all kinds of dairy products as a child by my grandparents, and I believe grandparents are never wrong.
I love using dairy in all forms, from butter/ghee to yogurt to cheese to milk as they are simple, delicious, nutrient-rich ingredients. Dairy is the milk of choice in our cereal, the yogurt in our morning smoothies or layered granola parfaits or the yogurt used to make other savory breakfast dishes. Even the cheese on our pizza or the milk that goes into that comforting mug of hot chocolate or coffee and our much needed evening chai !
97% dairy farms are family-owned and your dairy is probably sourced from a farm near your neighborhood. The dairy industry uses innovative and safe technology to provide us with better, fresher product along with exceptional animal care and sustainable nutrition.
Dairy foods are a powerhouse of nutrients, packed with carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Also, it is budget friendly, comes in many varieties and there is something to satisfy everyone’s taste. You can easily find them down the dairy aisle of your grocery store.
Have you tried pronouncing the ingredients on the cartons of other dairy alternatives, some of which may have up to 10 ingredients, which is not the case with real cow’s milk. It contains more naturally-occurring nutrients and only three ingredients- milk, vitamin D, and vitamin A. We all love to eat well, so why not add two or three daily servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt to your diet?
I hope you will try this delicious Indian semolina pudding soon and love it as much as we do 🙂
Ingredients
1/2 cup coarse rava / sooji (semolina)
1/4 cup ghee
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tbsp raisins
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
About 30 strands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
!For garnish (optional)
dried rose petals, as required
slivered pistachios, as required
Step by step instructions to make rava sheera
1.Dry roast the semolina in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat until it turns crisp, fragrant and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside.
2.Wipe the same pan with a clean kitchen napkin and add ghee, once it melts, add slivered almonds. When the almonds turn light brown, add the raisins, cook until the raisins turn plump and swell up.
3.Add the roasted semolina, cook for another 1-2 minutes, until you see some ghee being released from the semolina.
4.Add the milk and water along with saffron extract, and stir continuously as you pour the liquid to avoid any lump formation. Cook for another 2 minutes until the semolina absorbs all the liquid.
5.Add the sugar and give everything a quick stir. The sugar will melt and leave water. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
6.Add cardamom powder, and mix well. The sheera/pudding is ready once the mixture comes together and ghee oozes from the sides of the pan. Serve warm garnished with additional dried fruits if desired. You can present this in two ways, either use a fancy mold or a plain bowl, fill the pudding, press it to make it compact, then invert it in the serving plate. Or simply serve it directly in a bowl as shown below.
NOTES
1.Store leftovers in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
2.You can increase the sugar to 1/2 cup if you prefer a sweeter rava sheera | semolina pudding. This is the perfect amount of sweetness for us.
HOW TO MAKE RAVA SHEERA?
Rava Sheera | Sooji Ka Halwa | Indian Semolina Pudding
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 1/2 cup coarse rava / sooji semolina
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- About 30 strands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
For garnish (optional)
- dried rose petals, as required
- slivered pistachios, as required
Instructions
- Dry roast the semolina in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat until it turns crisp, fragrant and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside.
- Wipe the same pan with a clean kitchen napkin and add ghee, once it melts, add slivered almonds. When the almonds turn light brown, add the raisins, cook until the raisins turn plump and swell up.
- Add the roasted semolina, cook for another 1-2 minutes, until you see some ghee being released from the semolina.
- Add the milk and water along with saffron extract, and stir continuously as you pour the liquid to avoid any lump formation. Cook for another 2 minutes until the semolina absorbs all the liquid.
- Add the sugar and give everything a quick stir. The sugar will melt and leave water. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add cardamom powder, and mix well. The sheera/pudding is ready once the mixture comes together and ghee oozes from the sides of the pan. Serve warm garnished with additional dried fruits if desired. You can present this in two ways, either use a fancy mold or a plain bowl, fill the pudding, press it to make it compact, then invert it in the serving plate. Or simply serve it directly in a bowl.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
- You can increase the sugar to 1/2 cup if you prefer a sweeter rava sheera | semolina pudding. This is the perfect amount of sweetness for us.
What are some of your favorite dairy foods?
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Facebook @ Aromaticessence
Pinterest @ Aromatic Essence
Instagram @ aromatic_essence77
Twitter @ freda_dias
Regards,
Freda
