This simple, fresh, and tangy Watermelon Salad is super easy to toss together with only four simple ingredients! Nothing says summer like watermelon!
Watermelon brings back childhood memories of family picnics. In those days, my mother or an aunt would bring a whole watermelon and cut it into slices for us. Watermelon was a messy food, usually to be eaten outdoors. This salad is a little more refined.
This Watermelon Salad recipe is really one of those happy accidents that sometimes happens in the kitchen. I brought home a watermelon. Charlie sliced while I sat at the kitchen counter and began to devour it. It was a lovely, almost seedless watermelon.
As we got into it, I thought there must be something more interesting we could do with this fruit. I remembered some blueberries I had in the fridge, so I cut some watermelon into cubes and added the blueberries. That was okay, but could have been better. I stepped out onto the back deck, plucked some basil leaves, and dropped them in. The smaller, newer leaves taste best. Now, a salad needs some dressing, right? A little drizzle of a good quality balsamic vinegar, and…perfection! Well, I think so, anyway! I could eat a whole bowl of this Watermelon Salad. Well, actually I did!
What to Do with Leftover Watermelon
If you have more fresh watermelon that you won't be using right away after making this salad, you can freeze it in cubes for a Watermelon Slushie.
More Summer Salads
Nutritional Benefits
According to watermelon.org, watermelon is a great source of Vitamin B6 for the immune system, Vitamin A for healthy skin, potassium for water balance, and lycopene for antioxidant power.
Blueberries are very high in antioxidants.
Watermelon Salad with Basil
As it turns out, basil pairs well with watermelon in both flavour and appearance. The little green flecks contrast nicely with the red of watermelon flesh.
It's very easy to grow basil in a pot near the kitchen door. I don't always have great success with plants, but basil never lets me down. It flourishes throughout the summer as I harvest its leaves from time to time. In the winter, I keep a small pot of it on the kitchen windowsill.
Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar makes this salad especially easy to make. You don't need a prepared salad dressing when you have a good-quality balsamic vinegar to drizzle over it.
Balsamic vinegar is made from pressed grapes that have never been allowed to turn into wine. It's aged for several years, with the more expensive ones being aged longer.
Watch for pure balsamic vinegar. If you examine the list of ingredients on a bottle of balsamic vinegar, you may notice that it has been blended with other vinegars. Sometimes, balsamic isn't even the first thing on the list! Read more about buying good balsamic vinegar in my Balsamic Vinaigrette post.
Vegan Watermelon Salad
This happens to be a vegan Watermelon Salad. While cheese is a pleasant addition to many salads, this one works for people who don't or can't eat cheese.
I hope enjoy the ease of this salad so you can get on with enjoying summer!
If you make this recipe, I'd love to see yours! Snap a picture and share it on Instagram tagged #CathysGlutenFree.
Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon cubed
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Chop watermelon flesh into bite-sized chunks.
- Sprinkle blueberries and chopped basil over the watermelon.
- Drizzle balsamic vinegar over all and toss gently.
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