Description
This spicy watermelon salad with cilantro and lime is a real crowd-pleasing salad during the warm summer months! It’s spicy, sweet, and draped in a bright and citrusy dressing for the ultimate watermelon salad experience. Refreshing and FULL of summer flavor! GF, dairy free, vegetarian, paleo, vegan option, Whole30 option.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 mini watermelon, or 1/4 of a regular watermelon – cut into wedges or bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 a jalapeño, thinly sliced or chopped up for less intense heat, or more or less to taste
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
- Flaky sea salt and extra red chili flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Cut watermelon into handheld-sized wedges or bite-sized pieces.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and chili flakes. Add cilantro and jalapeño and stir together.
- To serve with watermelon wedges: Assemble watermelon wedges on a large serving platter or as individual wedges on salad plates. Spoon dressing over the top of the watermelon and finish with flaky sea salt and an extra pinch of chili flakes if desired.
- To serve with cubed watermelon: Add cubed watermelon to a bowl along with the dressing. Gently toss to coat and serve topped with extra cilantro, jalapeno slices, flaky sea salt, and an extra pinch of chili flakes if desired.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
I don’t recommend assembling the salad ahead of time since the acid in dressing will start to break down the integrity of the watermelon. You can, however, prepare the components in advance and assemble just before serving! See the section in the blog post above for suggestions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cold prep
- Cuisine: American