Watermelon Salad Recipe

It’s the height of summer, and peak summertime meals in my household are much more about “assembly” than they are about actually cooking. In general, from June-August our food mantra is “simple and fresh.” I find great joy using ultra fresh ingredients from farmers markets and our CSA (community supported agriculture) share to assemble creative but quick salads and sides that feel in harmony with the season.

Earlier this summer my friend Sarah, owner of Food Gallery Catering, offered this watermelon salad in one of her meal kits I splurged on. It was incredibly refreshing and tasty, and it was obviously super simple to prepare, so I asked if she would be willing to share the recipe. Like most experienced chefs, she didn’t have a concrete recipe per se, but she did send the cute comment and template below. As you will see, there aren’t any quantities. Just play with amounts. If you add the lime juice and salt to taste as you go, it is impossible to screw up this treat.

 

Watermelon Salad

“Legit, this watermelon salad is the easiest thing you’ve ever made.” – Sarah Enrico :)

watermelon

jicama

juice of limes (I used 1-2 limes)

salt

jalapeno or serrano pepper

cilantro leaves

 

1. Cube watermelon into bite-size pieces.

2. Cut jicama (Sarah used a mandolin with the finest shredder blade to get a fine julienne, but I just used a box grater. She also suggested using a food processor with a shredder attachment to get the same effect.)

3. Mix.

4. Squeeze lime juice on watermelon and jicama (I ended up using the juice of 1 whole juicy lime when I made this salad. I had cubed about 1/2 of a big watermelon.)

5. Salt everything, to taste. (Sarah said, “Use a little more salt than you would think – enough salt makes the sweetness of everything else pop.” I was nervous about over-salting, so I added a little at a time and tasted as I went.)

6. Top with super thinly sliced jalapenos or serranos and cilantro leaves, to taste.

A final note: On one occasion, the jalapeno I used didn’t have any heat and I really wanted some spice, so I finished everything with a sprinkle of cayenne. It gave the desired zip I wanted and tasted absolutely delicious.

Happy summer!

xo,

Claudine

P.S. The picture of this salad shows it with mint, rather than cilantro, which is also a great substitute for those not drawn to cilantro.