Watermelon, charred feta and bread salad with mint

4 to 6 as a sharing plate
Easy
15 minutes
10 minutes
Wine/Spirit Pairing
Woolworths Steenberg Rosé

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Ingredients

Method
  • 2 slices sourdough bread, cut into small squares
  • 7 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 500 g watermelon , cut into small bite-sized pieces, seeds removed
  • 10 black Greek olives, pitted
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced lengthways and then across into thin half-moon pieces
  • 1 handful purslane (if available) or rocket leaves, roughly chopped
  • 200 g feta, cut into medium-sized cubes
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Spread the sourdough croutons onto a baking tray, drizzle with 2 T olive oil and bake in the oven until golden – this should take around 10 minutes.

2. Put all the remaining ingredients, apart from the feta, in a bowl and mix gently. Season to taste.

3. Just before you serve the salad, put the feta on a lined baking tray and place under a hot grill for a minute or two, until it slightly colours at the edges. Add the hot feta and toasted sourdough to the bowl and give the salad a final mix before serving.

Cook's note: Sometimes I feel this salad needs a touch of sweet vinegar and at other times I feel it’s perfect with the oil, salt and pepper. I think all this depends on the acidity of the feta and the sweetness of the watermelon. If you think you need it to be sharper, then add a splash of good-quality vinegar.

Find more salad recipe here. 

Photographs: Elena Heatherwick

Marianna Leivaditaki is the head chef at Morito on Hackney Road in London. Her cookbook, Aegean – Recipes from the Mountains to the Sea, is published by Kyle Books and distributed in SA by Jonathan Ball Publishers. R620, octopusbooks.co.uk

Marianna Leivaditaki

Recipe by: Marianna Leivaditaki

Growing up in family kitchens on the idyllic island, Marianna Leivaditaki always dreamed of leaving. Now a chef in London, she serves food inspired by her childhood and dreams of her next trip home.

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