Watermelon Salad

No other produce screams summer quite like watermelon. It could be its refreshing sweetness or even the burst of color that adds a bit of brightness to your plate. It's hard to beat the simple pleasure of biting into a juicy slice of watermelon.

Thing is, there's more to watermelon than just its flavor: It boasts some powerful health benefits, too. At 46 calories per cup, watermelon offers 20 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C and 17 percent vitamin A, according to the USDA. That's not all. Watermelon contains dietary fiber for digestive health as well as potassium, a mineral that helps keep blood pressure capped. 

Cook's notes: This sweet and savory salad is fantastic along side grilled meats or even part of a brunch spread. Salting the cucumbers draws the moisture out before adding to the salad mixture.  In this recipe to keep the balance of salty and sweet, sugar is used instead of salt to macerate the watermelon cubes. A Greek flair can be given to the dish by adding in olives and feta crumbles. 

Salad serves 4-6 

 Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups cubed watermelon 
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup diced red onion, red onion ring slices or 1 shallot, sliced into rings 
• 3 TB. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. pepper flakes
• 1/2  cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
• 3 TB. extra virgin olive oil or Tuscan infused olive oil
• 2 TB. fresh basil, diced
• 4-5 radishes, sliced 
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes 
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: 1/3 cup each feta cheese crumbles and olives

Directions:

• Toss watermelon cubes with 1 tsp. sugar, place in colander and drain in sink for 30 minutes.
• Wipe out bowl. 
• In a jar with screw top lid add vinegar, oil, basil, parsley flakes, pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Shake well.
• Pat cucumbers dry on a paper towel and salt lightly. Pat tomatoes dry on a paper towel.
• In bowl add sliced radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and drained watermelon.
• Pour dressing over and toss to combine.
• Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours. 
• Drain watermelon mixture in colander. Place salad in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with feta crumbles or white cheddar crumbles.  

Bon Appetit!

Think outside the box and enjoy these creative art pieces made from watermelon. Looks like Pinterest creations to me!