Description
Fresh summer Watermelon Salad from Mexico combines crisp fruit with tangy lime and spicy chile. Chilled ingredients and simple preparation make this refreshing dish perfect for warm gatherings you’ll want to enjoy repeatedly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups (1.4 L) watermelon, cut into cubes (rind and seeds discarded)
- ½ cup (120 mL) queso fresco cheese
- ⅓ cup (80 mL) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- ½ cup (170 g) clover honey
- ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice
- 1 heaping tsp grated lime zest
- ½ tsp flaky salt (kosher or Himalayan salt will work too)
Instructions
- Dressing Preparation: Whisk honey, lime juice, zest, and salt in a mixing bowl until a smooth, fragrant liquid forms, blending the sweet and citrusy elements harmoniously.
- Salad Assembly: Transfer cubed watermelon into a serving vessel, creating a juicy base, then generously distribute crumbled Queso Fresco across the surface, allowing the white cheese to create a striking contrast against the ruby-red fruit.
- Flavor Infusion: Drizzle the honey-lime dressing over the watermelon and cheese, ensuring each component is delicately coated with the sweet-tangy mixture, then gently fold the ingredients together using a soft spatula to maintain the watermelon’s integrity.
- Final Flourish: Immediately before serving, scatter freshly chopped cilantro across the salad, introducing a vibrant green garnish that enhances both the visual presentation and aromatic complexity of the dish.
Notes
- Dressing Dynamics: Whisk honey, lime juice, zest, and salt thoroughly to create a harmonious, smooth liquid that blends flavors seamlessly.
- Cheese Placement Precision: Crumble Queso Fresco gently to create delightful white specks that provide a creamy contrast against the watermelon’s vibrant red.
- Fresh Herb Finale: Add cilantro just before serving to maintain maximum freshness and boost the salad’s aromatic profile with a bright green pop.
- Gentle Mixing Method: Fold ingredients softly with a spatula to prevent watermelon from breaking, ensuring each bite remains perfectly intact and visually appealing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 125mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 10mg