Watermelon salad is a genius invention. I can’t remember when I had my first one but it was love at first bite ????
This watermelon salad recipe is pretty much how I always have watermelon these days. The other way is via a margarita but that’s a recipe for another day.
The ingredients in this recipe are pretty common ones that I usually have on hand, making it very easy to put together.
How to make a watermelon salad with mint and basil
Watermelons are refreshing as it is, especially in summer, but add fresh herbs and spices and you’ve taken it to another level.
The chillies and pepper, while optional, are highly recommended. It’s the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the watermelon and leaves a very pleasant zing on the tongue.
Another excellent optional is to add crumbed feta to the salad. It delivers a saltiness and tang that works really well with the other flavours.
Sometimes I also drizzle a mint and coriander chutney over the salad for an extra punch.
What to serve the salad with
The best thing about this recipe is its simplicity. Because of this, I’ve deliberately left out specific quantities for the ingredients.
Half the fun in making a watermelon salad is throwing it together, adding little bits of this and that. If you have to count up each and every mint leaf then it kind of defeats the purpose.
The idea here is to get a general feel of the flavour profiles and then use as little or as much of the ingredients as you want.
Because of its simplicity, it is also very versatile. In particular, it makes for a perfect side dish at a barbecue.
You can serve the watermelon salad with a smoky, grilled corn on the cob or grilled lamb. Think Mediterranean flavours and you won’t go wrong.
A little advice – you’ll want to put the salad together just before you’re ready to have it. If you make it too far in advance, a puddle of watermelon juice will collect at the bottom and the flavours will dilute.
Craving more snacks? Try my moreish Indian-ish nachos. Or for something you can share, give my sweet potato fries with dips a go.
Hope you enjoy! If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Ingredients
- 1/4 watermelon
- Red onion
- Mint leaves
- Basil leaves
- Green chilli
- Lime
- Salt
- Pepper
Method
- Dice watermelon into cubes.
- Slice a red onion. Half a red onion should be sufficient.
- Finely slice a green chilli.
- Add watermelon, red onion, green chilli to a bowl.
- Throw in as many mint and basil leaves as you want. They're not being used as a garnish so don't be stingy but the watermelon should still be the key ingredient.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lime all over.
- Enjoy!