This watermelon salad, featuring cucumber and mint, is the perfect side to brighten your dinner plate while adding a cool and refreshing note to a summer meal.
Choosing a Watermelon
Usually I am among the world’s worst at choosing a ripe watermelon. I am even worse when the watermelon is small and seedless. Somehow I just don’t understand the whole thumping thing. That leaves me to rely on the sympathy and judgment of strangers or, when shopping at off hours as I was last week, with little to go on except the color, size and general attractiveness of the fruit in question.
All the same, alone in the produce section one day last week, confronted by a large box of relatively small but very pretty watermelons, I just couldn’t resist the impulse to put one in my basket and take it home.
Sweet Surprises
Cutting into that watermelon a few hours later on a warm June evening, I was thrilled to discover that luck was with me. The watermelon I brought home was perfectly ripe and sweet. Its flesh was a gorgeous ruby tone. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of mushiness around the few small seeds I found inside. It was a wonderful surprise.
Still, there were leftovers. Try as we might we weren’t able to consume more than half of that small watermelon with our dinner. Afterward, I turned to my recipe files. Soon I had the perfect antidote: a recipe clipping from Real Simple for a watermelon, cucumber and mint salad. It even called for a handful of the fragrant chocolate mint growing just outside my back door.
Luck stayed in my corner. This recipe, a combination of just a few fresh and simple ingredients I would never have thought to combine on my own, turned out to be amazing. Honestly, you’ve got to try it! It’s the perfect side dish to brighten a dinner plate. It also adds a cool and refreshing note to most any summer meal.
Minted Watermelon and Cucumber Salad
Course: Salad, SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes25
minutesA watermelon salad with cucumbers and mint is the perfect side to brighten your dinner plate while adding a cool and refreshing note to a summer meal.
Ingredients
4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into thin wedges
½ English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
¼ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped (I used chocolate mint leaves)
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (juice from half a fresh lime)
1 Tablespoon salad oil
½ teaspoon salt pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- In a medium bowl, toss the watermelon, cucumber and mint leaves with the lime juice, salad oil, salt and pepper.
- Set aside for 15 minutes or so to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve and enjoy!
This looks fabulous! I love watermelon and cucumber together, this would be fantastic for a hot summer day! Thanks for sharing!
i sure am glad you didn't taint this with feta cheese or something similar. i keep seeing watermelon with stinky cheeses and it makes me sad. 🙂
Thanks for your comment. I hope you like it as much as I did!
As luck would have it, I have all the ingredients, so I will be making this tomorrow! It looks amazing!