Watermelon Feta Salad with Jalapeño Feta Crème

Watermelon Feta Salad with Jalapeño Feta Crème

By: Ashlyn Walters / Southern Hospitality Company

Let’s get one thing out of the way: this is not the kind of salad that makes you feel like you’re apologizing for enjoying food. This is the kind of salad that shows up late, casually dressed, and still manages to steal the spotlight. It’s juicy, creamy, spicy, herby, and somehow both refreshing and indulgent… like a spa day where someone also hands you a martini.

Inspired by Rumi’s Kitchen in Atlanta, this watermelon feta salad lives in that perfect place where salty meets sweet, hot meets cool, and summer feels like it might last forever. And before you ask, no, we’re not just tossing cubes of fruit and cheese in a bowl and calling it a day. There’s nuance here. Drama, even. But the good kind. The kind you want to invite to dinner.

Here’s how it comes together.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed or balled
• 1 cup cucumber, smashed or roughly chopped (Persian or English recommended)
• 1 small shallot, peeled and halved
• 1/2 cup goat’s milk feta, crumbled (regular feta works, too)
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (mint, tarragon, parsley), roughly chopped
• Optional: thin jalapeño slices or a pinch of Aleppo pepper

For the Jalapeño Feta Crème:

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 jalapeño, deseeded
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette:

• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Char the shallot
Lightly oil and pan-sear or broil the shallot halves until softened and charred in spots. Let cool, then slice thinly.

Smash the cucumber
Use the side of a knife or rolling pin to lightly crush the cucumber. Chop into bite-sized pieces.

Make the Jalapeño Feta Crème
Blend the yogurt, feta, jalapeño, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor or blender until smooth. Chill until serving.

Make the vinaigrette
Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, and tarragon. Slowly add olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the salad
In a large bowl, gently toss watermelon, cucumber, charred shallot, and herbs with the vinaigrette. Top with crumbled feta and drizzle with jalapeño feta crème, or serve it on the side.

This salad doesn’t beg for attention. It commands it, in the most nonchalant way possible. It’s the perfect dish for a late Sunday lunch, or a Tuesday when you want to feel like you’re somewhere more interesting than your inbox. It’s a little bit Persian, a little bit Southern, and completely the kind of thing I make when I want to impress people without looking like I tried too hard.

Like most good things, I’m still figuring it out as I go… Tasting, adjusting, sometimes over salting and pretending I meant to. But isn’t that part of the charm?

Now, go forth. Make this. Eat it outside if you can. Don’t forget the cold rosé.

We’d love to hear your thoughts if you try this recipe! Enjoy your watermelon salad!