Give our Watermelon Cucumber Basil Salad a try!
It’s the perfect summer salad, plus it is easy to make and so refreshing.
Our watermelon and basil salad is the epitome of summer in a salad bowl.
It is made with the sweetest watermelon, fresh sweet basil, and lemon basil.
We added ribbons of mint and diced Persian cucumbers.
Then there are the flecks of sea salt, extra virgin olive oil drizzles, and local honey.
So much goodness topped with finely shredded cotija cheese.
This summer salad is a feast for the eyes, and it just works!
What You Will Need
Watermelon. Watermelon is the quintessential summertime fruit; it just is! And a watermelon salad works mainly because it’s so refreshing.
But toss in diced cucumber and lots of fresh herbs, and you can see and taste why it is so darn good.
Cucumber. Cucumbers, a cousin to watermelons, also appear in our salad; both contain lots of water and pack tons of nutrients.
For this recipe, I picked a Persian cucumber from the garden, and after washing it, I gave it a rough peel, which left a little of the skin intact to add additional benefits and a pop of color.
Herbs. While nosing around in our garden, I gathered fresh sweet basil, lemon basil, and a few mint sprigs. In this salad, I left the basil leaves whole.
However, for the mint, I gave cut them into thin ribbons.
Cotija Cheese. I see a lot of variations of the watermelon, and so many of them use Feta cheese. Although I’ve tried Feta in watermelon salads before, I think I found a better fit.
Finely shredded Cotija cheese is my new favorite cheese to add a touch of savory to one of my favorite summer salad mixes.
EVOO & Honey. The combination of using extra virgin olive oil and honey goes back for untold centuries, and after one taste, you’ll understand why.
Throughout antiquity, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, and sea salt were used to dress salads, other vegetables, and meats. Here, I used a similar mix; instead of lemon juice, I used lime, which is just as yummy.
Flaky Sea Salt & Lime Juice. Adding sea salt to almost any dish will bring out its flavors, and using a lit of freshly squeezed lime juice adds a bit of acidity to balance the sweetness.
How to Make Watermelon Cucumber Basil Salad
4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 4 cups diced watermelon
- 1 1/3 cups diced cucumber
- 15 fresh sweet basil leaves
- 10 lemon basil leaves
- 8 mint leaves cut into ribbons, stack them, roll, and then slice with a sharp paring or chef’s knife
- 1/4 cup of finely shredded Cotija cheese
- local honey to taste
- EVOO to taste
- juice of half a lime
- a pinch or two (maybe three) of flaky sea salt
Directions:
- Dice the watermelon and cucumbers and add them to a large bowl or high-walled serving platter.
- And the sweet basil, lemon basil, and ribbons of fresh mint.
- Scatter on the Cotija cheese.
- Either drizzle on the honey, extra virgin olive oil, and freshly squeezed lime juice separately or combine all three ingredients in a small bowl, whisk, then drizzle over the salad.
- Add a couple of pinches of flaky sea salt.
- Serve immediately.
What other cheese varieties can I use?
Good question; as a rule of thumb, when serving fruits with cheese, you want to think about how sweet the fruit is.
For instance, our watermelon salad has sweet watermelon and honey, so select a cheese that works well with sweet ingredients.
Here are a few options:
Feta. Watermelon and Feta cheese is a pretty good paring. Feta is typically a goat milk cheese that is slightly salty and tangy; the more it is aged, the tangier it gets. Feta compliments the sweetness of the watermelon and the honey used in this salad.
Manchenga. This is another zesty, creamy, and crumbly sheep’s milk cheese, and it also pairs well with crusty bread, figs, prosciutto, green olives, and watermelon.
Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola. Moldy cheeses go very well with anything sweet. Blue cheese and gorgonzola are salty, and saltiness tends to pair well with almost anything sweet.
How long will watermelon salad last in the fridge?
Stored in an airtight container, watermelon salad will last three to four (3-4) days in the fridge.
So, if this sounds like your kind of salad, or you’re in the mood to try something new and refreshing, give our Watermelon Cucumber Basil Salad a try.
And if you try it and like it, drop us a line in the comment section.
More Watermelon Recipes:
Watermelon Cucumber Basil Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced watermelon
- 1 1/3 cups diced cucumber
- 15 fresh sweet basil leaves
- 10 lemon basil leaves
- 8 mint leaves cut into ribbons stack them, roll, and then slice with a sharp paring or chef's knife
- 1/4 cup of finely shredded Cotija cheese
- local honey to taste
- EVOO to taste
- juice of half a lime
- a pinch or two maybe three of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Dice the watermelon and cucumbers and add them to a large bowl or high-walled serving platter.
- And the sweet basil, lemon basil, and ribbons of fresh mint.
- Scatter on the Cotija cheese.
- Either drizzle on the honey, extra virgin olive oil, and freshly squeezed lime juice separately or combine all three ingredients in a small bowl, whisk, then drizzle over the salad.
- Add a couple of pinches of flaky sea salt.
- Serve immediately.
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