Nothing tastes like summer at the Franklin Farmers Market more than our Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad. This dish is cool and crunchy, juicy, sweet and sour—all the refreshing flavors needed to beat the summer heat. This recipe is one of many found in the Franklin Farmers Market’s Eating in Season cookbook, which is available to purchase every Saturday at our market.

Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad is available in the Franklin Farmers Market cookbook Eating in Season.

Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad begins by whisking together a sweet and tart dressing of fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Johnson Honey Farm’s clover or wildflower honey.

A fresh lemon vinaigrette lightly sweetened with local honey forms the dressing for this watermelon salad.

Next, 1 small red onion is peeled, halved, and thinly sliced into half moons. Add the onion slices to the fresh lemon vinaigrette to marinate while the rest of the salad is prepared.

Marinating red onions first softens their natural bite, creating a nice pairing with summer sweet watermelon.

Then, sweet, ripe watermelon is cubed and placed into a serving bowl. Crumble on 4oz of tangy feta cheese, add the onions and lemon vinaigrette, and gently combine.

Crumble salty, tangy feta cheese onto sweet watermelon for a sweet and savory salad.

For a complete flavor profile, toss in 1 cup of fresh, pungent basil leaves, thinly sliced, just before serving. Enjoy on a late-summer afternoon with friends and family.

A chiffonade of fresh sweet basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced.

Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon local honey or agave nectar

1 small red onion

3-4 cups cubed seedless watermelon

2-4 ounces feta cheese

1 cup basil leaves