The Secret Ingredients You Need For Delicious Watermelon And Feta Salad

If you have leftover watermelon from a party or just bought one of the massive fruits at the supermarket, you can't go wrong using it for a watermelon and feta salad. This light and refreshing Mediterranean staple puts some of the best summertime flavors at center stage. It's standardly made with sweet, juicy watermelon and salty, creamy feta cheese, of course, but most recipes mix in several other ingredients to create a harmonious symphony for the taste buds. Cool cucumber and mint, spicy arugula and red onion, and tangy citrus juice or balsamic-based vinaigrette are often tossed into the salad to tie the dish together. However, there are a couple of less common additions that can make the salad even more delicious: Basil and ginger.

Whether you throw basil and ginger into a watermelon and feta salad alongside similar ingredients or on their lonesome for simplicity's sake, the herb and spice bring a lot to the table. Basil boasts a whole host of flavors, lending a grassy, lemony, and peppery taste to the salad. It also sometimes has a subtly sweet taste that makes it a more complex substitute for mint if you're searching for the perfect herb. On the other hand, ginger packs the heat, offering a warmth that pairs nicely with the sweetness of the watermelon and creaminess of the feta cheese. Together, these two secret ingredients can elevate a simple watermelon feta salad for an extra refreshing dish fit for the summer.

While most fresh watermelon and feta salads call for mint, basil is hard to beat. These two herbs share some similarities, due in part to them both belonging to the Lamiaceae family, which also includes lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme. However, while mint tends to be predominantly sweet and creates a pleasant cooling sensation for the taste buds thanks to menthol, basil can be both sweet and savory, making it a perfect partner for watermelon and feta. Of course, you can always toss the two herbs into the summery salad together for an exceptionally refreshing and flavorful dish.

As a sort of jack-of-all-trades herb, basil features a broad flavor profile, providing earthy, acidic, and even slightly spicy notes that can add complexity to the sweet fruit and salty cheese. There are also a ton of different types of basil, so there's room for experimentation. The standard variety sold at most grocery stores is Genovese basil, which lends a peppery and mildly sweet flavor to similar Mediterranean dishes like Caprese salad and bruschetta, which also feature fruit and cheese. Along with other hidden gems at the local farmers' market, you might be able to score some lemon basil, aptly named for its citrus flavor and fragrance, or dark opal basil, which has a pretty purple color and slightly sweet, spicy taste. Regardless of the type you choose, the versatile herb can take your watermelon feta salad from good to great.

Another staple in Mediterranean cuisine dating back to the first century, ginger is a versatile ingredient for cooking both sweet and savory dishes. The plant it stems from is likely native to southeastern Asia, where the spice has been used and traded for hundreds of years. While its bright flowers bloom as pink and red as fresh watermelon, the edible rhizome (underground stem) is an unsuspecting beige or tan, neither of which reflect ginger's sharp and pungent flavor. The root's spiciness comes from gingerol, a chemical compound related to capsaicin in black pepper, and meshes well with watermelon. For instance, the two ingredients are often paired together in refreshing juices, cocktails, and even granitas — all of which are perfect for keeping cool in warm weather.

When added to watermelon and feta salad, ginger's bold heat contrasts pleasantly with the sweet fruit and tangy, creamy cheese. Altogether, this combination of ingredients creates a balance of flavors that's sure to wow the taste buds. The spice can be grated into the dish on its own, as it should mix into the watermelon's juice when the salad is tossed, or it can be stirred into a simple dressing fit for any fruit salad along with lime juice and honey. Between both ginger and basil, your watermelon feta salad will taste even more refreshing and flavorful than normal, making it the star of a summer dinner party or backyard barbecue.