Watermelon & Butter Lettuce Salad with Feta & Crushed Marcona Almonds

Like seriously, is there anything better than watermelon right now? This watermelon salad pic slays me. It’s definitely prettier than mine (let’s just call a spade a spade.) Here’s the kicker though, a whole watermelon is a lot of watermelon. A lot, in particular, for one 28 year old gal. I’ve started toying with a new nutrition app where you’re paired with a personal nutritionist and submit pictures of everything you eat (a whole other discussion entirely), and given my diet the past few days this woman must definitely be thinking… “Does this girl eat anything other than watermelon??” She’s also probably confused as to why my weekday lunches are so perfectly plated.

Anyway, this salad is straight up good and succinctly reflects how I like to eat in the summer. Simple dishes with a big hello to fresh produce. Not a ton of fussing. That’s my jam. The other thing that would be really good is if you took the remaining watermelon and made a version of this cocktail. Consider me ON IT, friends.

Ps: This recipe is part of a whole host of epic picnic recipes over on SELF.com- head over to see them all!

Watermelon & Butter Lettuce Salad with Feta & Crushed Marcona Almonds
Serves 4

• About 16 leaves of butter lettuce (one standard package should be sufficient)
• 16 watermelon triangles (a quarter melon will be sufficient)
• 1/3 pound feta cheese cut into triangles (about 2 per bowl)
• juice of one lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh pepper
• generous 1/2 cup of marcona almonds, roughly chopped (don’t chop too fine!)
• extra fresh pepper and flaked sea salt for serving

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp fresh pepper and set aside.

Divide the butter lettuce among for shallow bowls. Layer the watermlon wedges, cheese, and crushed almonds on top. Divide the lemon vinagrette among the four bowls and top with extra freshly cracked pepper and flaked sea salt. Serve immediately.