Description
A festive and refreshing Watermelon, Feta and Mint Christmas Wreath Salad featuring chilled watermelon triangles arranged with fresh mint leaves and crumbled Greek feta cheese, finished with a zesty honey-lime dressing. Perfect for a light, colorful holiday appetizer or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Watermelon Wreath:
- 1 kg watermelon – prepared weight, trimmed of rind, chilled
- 6 sprigs fresh mint leaves – leaves picked
- 100 g Greek feta cheese – roughly crumbled
For the Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoon honey
- Freshly ground black pepper – optional
Instructions
- Wash the Watermelon Rind: Thoroughly wash the outside of the whole watermelon with water if using a whole one, or wipe the skin if using a piece, to remove any dirt or bacteria before cutting.
- Cut the Watermelon: Slice the watermelon into 1 cm (0.5 inch) thick slices, then cut these into approximately 4.5 cm (1.5 inch) squares. Cut the squares diagonally into triangles, discarding the rind.
- Cut Watermelon Stars: Use a small star cookie cutter to cut 12 stars from the neater watermelon offcuts to use as decoration for the top of the wreath. Set aside any leftover watermelon for later eating.
- Assemble the Wreath: Arrange the watermelon triangles around the perimeter of a large platter, interspersing fresh mint leaves as you go to create a wreath shape.
- Add Stars and Feta: Place the watermelon stars on top of the wreath arrangement and sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese evenly over the salad.
- Make the Dressing: Combine the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Dress the Salad and Serve: Drizzle the dressing evenly over the watermelon salad and serve immediately for best crispness and freshness.
Notes
- Chill the watermelon for a crisp texture; avoid leaving it at room temperature too long to prevent sogginess.
- Use a standard Australian tablespoon (20 ml) measurement for accuracy, or adjust according to your regional tablespoon size.
- This salad is best assembled just before serving to maintain freshness and crispness; components can be prepared in advance and kept chilled.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, but expect some water release and darkening of mint leaves.
- Starting watermelon weight was about 1.8 kg before trimming, yielding 1 kg of prepared flesh for the recipe.
