Watermelon Strawberry Salad With Honey Dressing

• Feta - there is definitely something special about combining salty and sweet fruity flavors. Feta adds creaminess and saltiness that just can't be beaten with anything. I suggest getting a block of feta and crumbling it yourself rather than buying store-bought or any similar cheese cubes. The flavor and freshness of a fresh block of cheese is very different from already packaged crumbled feta.
• Watermelon - If you can find a seedless watermelon, would be my preferred choice for a salad but not essential. Please read below in the next paragraph on how to choose ripe watermelon. I like to cut the watermelon into thicker chunks (about 2-3 inch cubes) or use a watermelon baller (longer prep). There is plenty of ways you can cut the watermelon (sticks, cubes, triangles), grab this great tutorial! And this one for using a melon baller.
• Mint - fresh leaves cut thin, chiffonade or chopped fine. Thinly sliced work better for the salad as they hold their shape better and look fresh longer. Although mint will brown if it sits for too long and gets in contact with moisture. The best way to cut it is with scissors! Other substitutions for mint: fresh basil or cilantro.
• Strawberries - Slice the strawberries in quarters or into thinner slices. Keep the tops, you can do so much more with these later! (I provide some info about this at the bottom of the post). If you are a beginner on this, this tutorial will help: How to cut strawberries. Strawberries are not only a strong carrier of iron but they act as an active iron absorber. Most of the berries are a naturally good source of vitamin C which helps to absorb non-heme iron. Other berries are also packed with vitamins and can be used in place of strawberries: raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries. All of these pair well with the honey dressing and chicken. 

To make it easy write down or remember these simple guidelines:

• The best-tasting watermelon is soaked on the vine, absorbing all the nutrients and sweet flavor. Watermelons will not ripen after they are cut. And if they are cut too early, they will be not sweet enough and start to soften on the inside quickly. 

• The stem should be yellow-brown. If the stem is green, it means the watermelon didn’t have a chance to become ripe. 

• A large spot on the bottom of the watermelon should be creamy yellow. If it’s too bright, pale-like with a very little yellow to it, it means watermelon didn’t have enough time to ripen in the sun. 

• Just like with avocados, press on the watermelons and see if they give back it means the melon is ripe. If the skin is too hard and it’s barely possible to press on it, it’s unripe.

• I recommend knocking on the watermelon to hear a deep hollow sound, it means it’s filled with water. If the sound isn’t hollow it means the brine is too thick and the watermelon is unripe on the inside. 

• Also if watermelon on the outside has deep, rough weathered spots, it means it's super sweet.

• Rounded watermelons tend to be sweeter than oval-shaped ones. Lift up the watermelon, it should feel heavier than it looks. 

• Time to test this knowledge! Once you open the watermelon, it should be bright red and you’ll see that it’s filled with water, and the taste should be sugary sweet.

• Chill the ingredients - Before assembling the salad, keep all the ingredients except the chicken in the fridge. Chilled fruit works better for this recipe.

• Add the feta cheese and salad dressing only when ready for serving, this way it will taste best and most refreshing without excess liquid from the fruits.

• Healthy lunch recipe - To make this salad more nutritious I recommend adding a variety of seeds (I added a sprinkle of chia seeds) or chopped toasted nuts (pecans, walnut, almonds). Or candied nuts, yum!

• Other ingredients that pair well with this watermelon salad: are red onion, avocado, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cherries. Herbs: cilantro and basil.

• Fresh strawberries are great fruit but can lose their fresh look fast. Add the strawberries to the salad last and any remaining fruit store refrigerated in a box lined with paper towels in between the strawberry layers. For the salad, prep wash the berries only as much as you need and the rest keep out of moisture stored as mentioned above. 

• Honey Dressing should be added at the last minute, right before serving. I recommend consuming the salad right away as the longer this dressed salad sits the soggier it will turn.

• Fresh is the best! I'd also recommend getting your fresh ingredients from a local farmer's market (where you get far the BEST strawberries by the way!). This way you get fresh produce and more healthy stuff.