This simple recipe for Fresh Easy Dairy-Free Minted Watermelon Salad is perfect for summer. It combines the refreshing nature of watermelon with the aromatic touch of mint. The vibrant flavors create a light and invigorating dish, ideal for beating the heat. With minimal effort, it offers a hassle-free and accessible option to enjoy the essence of summer.
Why you will love this dish!
This recipe for Fresh Minted Watermelon salad is perfect for summer for several reasons. First, watermelon is a quintessential summer fruit with its juicy, refreshing nature. The vibrant red flesh of watermelon provides a burst of hydration and sweetness, making it an ideal choice for beating the summer heat. Adding fresh mint to the salad enhances its cooling effect and adds a delightful aroma. The combination of crisp watermelon and aromatic mint creates a harmonious blend of flavors that is both light and invigorating. This recipe requires minimal effort, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time in the kitchen. The simplicity of the ingredients and the ease of preparation makes it an accessible option for anyone, regardless of their culinary expertise. Overall, this Fresh Minted Watermelon salad is a perfect choice for summer, offering a refreshing, flavorful, and hassle-free dish that captures the essence of the season.
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Is Watermelon Good for You?
You might think watermelon is just a bunch of sweet water. But it's so much more!
Watermelon is naturally low-calorie with only 96 calories in 2 cups. That's going to fill you up with fiber as well as rehydrate you with water.
Watermelon is loaded with lycopene; that's the stuff that helps fend off heart disease and some cancers. Tomatoes are great providers of lycopene too, but cup for cup, watermelon has 40% more.
Watermelon can help you reduce your blood pressure and boost your circulation. It is one of the few food sources to contain citrulline which lowers systolic blood pressure with the production of nitric oxide, a powerful compound that opens and relaxes your arteries. Citrulline also helps with wound healing and cell division, helping with circulation to all of your vital organs.
Watermelon unclogs your arteries. Swapping watermelon juice for water helps to reduce body fat, lowers LDL cholesterol (that's the bad one), AND helps to clean plaque from your arteries. You can make your own watermelon juice, or buy some at your local health food store.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients are so simple, so it's important you find the best and use the freshest you can.
- Fresh Watermelon - You can use small watermelons, or larger ones depending on how much you want to make. Seed in or seedless, although I think seedless looks better.
- Mint - Fresh mint sliced thinly. See Variations for more options.
- Balsamic Vinegar - Not a lot, just a bit. But make it a good, aged one. Not a FAKE one.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This is the time you want to use an artesian oil, one with a bit of pepper and grass.
- Salt and freshly ground pepper - Salt brings out the natural sweetness of the watermelon, the pepper enhances the savory aspects.
How to make Minted Watermelon Salad
Riducioulsy easy to make.
- Cut the watermelon in half and cut out the pulp. You can cut the pulp in one of 2 ways, use a knife and remove the flesh from the rind, then cut it into bite-sized pieces, OR, use a melon baller to remove the pulp from the rind. I prefer method two for looks, but one is easier and quicker. Place in a bowl.
- Finely slice the mint. The easiest way to "chiffonade" or finely slice mint is to roll the leaves together and then thinly slice across. If you don't mind it not being uniform, feel free to tear the leaves.
- Add a few shakes of balsamic and a few shakes of extra virgin olive oil.
- Gently mix.
- Top with fresh coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
FAQ's
Feta cheese is very popular with watermelon as it adds a "salty" and creaminess to it. However, it is dairy and I don't always want dairy in everything, especially if I'm taking it to an outdoor event. This recipe for watermelon salad with mint holds up very well without requiring refrigeration.
As I learned at Food and Wine Best Chefs in Aspen, salt brings out the sweetness. Salting watermelon also improves the fruit's texture. A little sprinkling of salt brings all the liquid to the surface of the water-rich fruit. As a result, each bite is guaranteed to be juicy and sweet.
Storage
Watermelon tends to get mushy when left in the refrigerator for too long. If you have leftover salad, put it into an air-tight container and use it within a few days.
Variations
- Add feta - Yes, feta is a nice addition. But it will no longer be dairy free and will require refrigeration.
- Add blueberries, diced peaches, or nectarine.
- Use basil instead of mint, or try rosemary.
Dishes to Enjoy with Fresh Minted Watermelon Salad
Fresh Easy Non-Dairy Minted Watermelon Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 - 8 cups watermelon balls or cubes
- ¼ - ½ cup thinly sliced fresh mint
- 2 teaspoons good balsamic vinegar or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper and coarse salt
Instructions
- Place the melon balls in a bowl with the mint. Add the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil along with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Toss until well combined. Serve on fresh baby lettuces that have been dressed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a dash of balsamic, if desired.
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