This watermelon salad recipe calls for sweet juicy watermelon with buttery cashew nuts, crunchy pumpkin seeds, briny feta cheese, and sweet-tart dried cranberries for a refreshing summer treat.
Is Watermelon Salad Healthy?
Yes, it is.
Thanks to watermelon being 92% water, this salad can satiate your hunger, rehydrate your body, and please your sweet tooth while keeping the calories low.
This vibrant red fruit is also rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A and C, potassium, and magnesium, which can greatly benefit your body.
Plus, watermelon is an excellent source of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect against cell damage, hence, can promote skin health and reduce the risk of cancer.
How to Pick a Watermelon
Don’t know how to pick a fresh and sweet watermelon? These three indicators will help. When picking a watermelon, you can check to see how it looks, how it feels, and how it sounds.
1. Based On Its Look
- Shape
Round or oval, it doesn’t matter. There are lots of varieties out there and they all taste good. What truly matters is that they should have a uniform shape with symmetrical stripe patterns and no irregular lumps or bumps.
- Color
Don’t aim for the shiny ones: They are usually underripe. Look for a watermelon with a dull-looking exterior. Dullness is the sign of ripeness.
And most importantly, check the ground spot, also known as a field spot, which is a large discolored patch on the underside of the watermelon.
It should have a creamy yellow color, indicating that the watermelon was allowed to ripen on the field before harvesting. The darker its yellow the sweeter your watermelon is.
If the spot is white, or there is no spot at all, then the watermelon is likely to be flavorless.
2. Based On Its Feel
Lift up a watermelon and feel its weight. You want to look for the heaviest one for its size. This means that the watermelon is rich in water and much juicier.
3. Base On Its Sound
Knock on the watermelon to test its sound. If you hear a deep tenor sound, then the watermelon is likely to be ripe. Overripe ones will produce a rather flat sound.
How to Store and Make Ahead
It’s best to consume a dressed watermelon salad within 24 hours.
For making ahead, keep the pre-cut watermelon and the dressing separately in air-tight containers in the fridge. They should stay fresh for 1 to 2 days.
You can also keep the watermelon cubes in the freezer for months. Whenever you want to make a salad with them, just let them thaw slowly in the cooling compartment in the fridge a few hours before prepping.
How to Make Watermelon Salad
Don't let the summer pass by without this sweet and refreshing watermelon salad. Whip up this recipe and feel those juicy red cubes melt joyfully in your mouth.
- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2022-08-05
- cook TIME 5 mins
- prep TIME 15 mins
- total TIME 15 mins
- COURSE Side Dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 220 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 30 oz watermelon (cubed)
- 0.5 oz pumpkin seed
- 1 oz cashew nuts
- 0.5 oz dried cranberries
- 1 oz feta cheese (crumbled)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped, divided)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepping
Cut the watermelon.
Wash your watermelon, then place it on the cutting board. Use a long and sharp knife to cut it in half, then cut into thin slices the width that you want for your cubes. After that, cut each slice into small cubes of your desired size.
Chop the parsley. Half is used for making the dressing, and the other half is for garnishing.
Place the rest of the ingredients on the table to start making the salad.
Cooking
Make the dressing. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp honey, and 1 tbsp parsley to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Make the salad. Place the watermelon cubes on a serving plate. Add 1 oz cashew nuts, 0.5 oz pumpkin seed, 0.5 oz dried cranberries, 1 tbsp parsley, and 1 oz feta cheese on top.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad before serving.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorNatalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- Davidson Jay.PRefreshing watermelon salad with a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.