Watermelon is the perfect summertime snack if you’re looking for something light and refreshing to eat. Of course, this light, hydrating fruit is great on its own, but it’s made even better as the base for s superb summertime side dish. This watermelon salad has is everything you want to make (and more) and makes the perfect side dish to bring to any party.
This recipe is a truly simple one and doesn’t require the stove or oven for any of the steps — a major bonus for those summer months when outside temperatures rise. All you need to do is take some cubed watermelon and mix the fruit with sliced cucumber, cubed feta, avocado and mint leaves in a large bowl.
With this recipe, you also make a basic homemade salad dressing. Add olive oil, lime juice and some salt in a jar and give it a good shake to make the zesty dressing for this healthy salad. If you have leftovers, however, you can use this dressing for any other summertime salads.
To finish up the watermelon salad, serve with some pistachios on top. This tasty gluten-free salad is amazing to eat on its own or to serve as a side dish with grilled meat or fish.
There’s no lettuce required in this watermelon salad but you can add or substitute ingredients to suit your taste buds. You can add in more refreshing fruits like strawberries or add in some edible flowers like pansies for extra color and flavor. Or maybe add a splash of balsamic to your vinaigrette to add some tanginess to your salad. Play around with the flavors, and once you’re done doing that, consider other no-cook side dishes for summer barbecues and weeknight dinners.
Watermelon and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:For the Salad:
2 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup sliced English cucumber
1/2 cup cubed feta
1/2 avocado, cubed
10 mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup pistachios
For the Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt (not too much because feta is salty)
For the Salad:
Step 1: In a large bowl, add 2 cups cubed watermelon, 1 cup sliced English cucumber, 1/2 cup cubed feta, ½ cubed avocado and 10 torn mint leaves.
For the Dressing:
Step 1: In a small jar, add 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and salt and shake well. Dress salad generously with dressing. The lime juice should keep the avocado from browning. Toss gently.
Step 2: Add pistachios right before serving so they don’t get soggy.
By Diamond Bridges
