Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

This easy summer salad is perfect to make for a cookout or party because there's no lettuce to get soggy. Jacques Pépin agrees. His friends Faith Middleton (host of NPR's The Food Schmooze) and veteran publicist Fern Berman once brought a watermelon salad to one of his parties. He loved it and was inspired to create this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon Tabasco

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• One 8-pound seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled

• 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)

• 1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)

• 1 small sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

How to Make It

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.

Chef's Notes

Although Pepin cuts a small, seedless watermelon into rounds with a melon baller (adding the trimmings to the salad, too, so as not to waste them), you can also chop the watermelon into cubes.

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