Summer tomatoes are abundant right now and this recipe combines sweet juicy tomatoes with crunchy refreshing watermelon for a simple take on a salad with big caprese vibes. It gets doused in a creamy yogurt and feta sauce that’s infused with fresh basil. I love the tomato watermelon combo, but feel free to use just one of those or any other seasonal fruit or grilled veggie (see note).
Ingredient Highlight
Tomatoes! There is nothing like a ripe juicy summer tomato and the end of summer is peak season. Not only does that mean they will be sweeter, juicier, and more flavorful, but it also means their nutrient content is at its highest. Tomatoes are a great source of vitamins C, A, K, and potassium. They’re rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that gives tomatoes that bright red color. They also are high in lutein and zeaxanthin – two nutrients important for eye health.
P.S. When eating tomatoes NOT in summer, I always opt for cherry tomatoes since they are usually sweeter and juicier.
Servings 6 People
Prep Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 6-8 oz feta cheese (about 1 ¼-1 ½ cups crumbled)*
- 1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup loosely packed basil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-1.5 lb ripe summer tomatoes, sliced or cut into bite-sized chunks*
- 2 cups chopped or sliced watermelon**
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Crusty bread (optional)
- *Use the good feta that comes in the brine for this if you can.
- Note: **you’ll likely have leftover basil whipped feta, which is great because it’s delicious with any and all summer fruits or grilled veggies and meats.
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, add the feta and yogurt and blend until smooth (this will take a minute or so). Add the basil and blend again until smooth. With the motor still running, pour in the olive oil.
- Add tomatoes and watermelon to a large serving platter (or whatever combination of fruits or veggies you’d like, see note). Sprinkle salt all over. Drizzle the whipped feta generously over top. Garnish with freshly grated black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and some more basil if you have some left.
- Highly recommend eating this with a side of crusty sourdough to sop up all of the dressing/tomato juices.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make the feta yogurt sauce.
- Chop or slice 2 cups watermelon
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, substitute the sauce with my Vegan Lemon Ricotta recipe. Just thin it out with some water and add in basil. Since it’s thicker, you could smear it onto the plate and top with the tomatoes/watermelon or thin it out a lot to drizzle it over top.
- As mentioned in the recipe notes, you can use all tomatoes, all watermelon, or any other ripe summer fruit or grilled veggie.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge
- Salad: up to 4 days in the fridge
- Dressing: up to 6 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This salad is still yummy as leftovers, but it tastes 100x better at room temperature so I recommend letting it sit out for a bit before eating.
- Drizzle leftover feta yogurt dressing over top and garnish with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- It’s a super refreshing side to any grilled protein.
- Use leftover yogurt feta dressing on top of grilled veggies or meats. Toss cooked pasta in the dressing for a quick light summer pasta.
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