watermelon and feta cheese salad

i know i've been neglecting this blog recently - between starting my master's program, moving to a new town, and trying to adjust to not working, it's been pretty crazy. i'm sorry! hopefully there won't be another big gap like this one in the posts for awhile.

this can hardly count as a recipe, but it's something simple that i absolutely love to make, and it's a nice alternative from a more traditional side salad. it also makes a great main course - just cook up some chicken tenders or breasts with salt and pepper, lemon juice and a little mint, and it makes a filling meal all on its own.

there are a lot of recipes emerging in this vein - the combination of watermelon and feta is a big deal right now. this is my own combination of several of them, as well as a few of my personal additives.

you will need:

1 bag of baby spinach, rinsed

about 1 cup of fresh watermelon

about 1 cup of fresh strawberries

1/3 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup pistachio nutmeats, roasted and salted

10 medium mint leaves, rinsed

equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar (about 1/2 cup total)

salad is pretty self-explanatory to assemble, but just in case: throw your spinach into a bowl.

cube the watermelon - i like it in pretty small, bite-sized pieces.

hull the strawberries, then chop them into halves - or quarters, depending on how large they are.

add both the watermelon and the strawberries to the spinach.

top this with feta cheese...

...and add the pistachios.

finally, grab the mint and chop it up. i like to make the pieces big enough that you can still find it in the salad once it's tossed.

add the mint to the salad. then, in a separate container just mix together the oil and vinegar, toss with the salad and serve.

super simple, but unexpected and really delicious.