Celebrate National Watermelon Day With These 7 Recipes
Is there a fruit that screams summer more than watermelon? I think not! It’s a refreshing favorite treat that can be enjoyed in many ways. Check out some of my personal favorite recipes using watermelon!
Watermelon Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
- 1/2 red seedless watermelon, sliced 1/2 inch thick (calculated with 16 oz)
- 8 thin slices of fresh mozzarella, 1 oz each
- 1 loose cup baby arugula
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
Instructions
-
Use a 4-inch star-shaped cookie cutter (or any shape) and cut 16 stars out of the watermelon (about 1 oz each). Save the excess watermelon for another use.
-
Arrange the watermelon on a platter, then layer with cheese, arugula, 1/4 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt on each.
-
Top with a final star, drizzle each with balsamic glaze, and serve.
Watermelon Margaritas
Ingredients
- 12 to 18 watermelon chunks
- 3 oz agave nectar
- 5 oz water
- 6 oz fresh lime juice
- 12 oz Teremana Blanco Tequila
- Ice
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the watermelon, agave nectar, and water, and gently muddle.
- Add the fresh lime juice and tequila.
- Top with ice and give it a stir to incorporate the ingredients.
- Serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel or watermelon chunk.
Balsamic Watermelon Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning (I used a spice mix I got at a specialty food store)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups baby spinach or greens
- 2 cups cubed watermelon
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/4 cup sliced or crushed almonds
Instructions
- Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the balsamic vinegar is significantly reduced and starting to become syrupy.
- Meanwhile, turn a grill or nonstick skillet to high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning on both sides and drizzle with the olive oil. Transfer to the hot grill and cook until no longer pink on the inside and nicely browned on the outside. Let rest for 5 minutes; cut into small cubes.
- Layer the spinach with the chicken, watermelon, blue cheese, almonds, and drizzle with the balsamic reduction to taste. Top with additional olive oil if desired.
Watermelon Blueberry Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 small Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, chopped (discard seeds for a milder salsa)
- 1 cup diced watermelon
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno in the bowl of a food processor; pulse briefly or until finely chopped (do not fully liquefy). If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the ingredients by hand.
- Transfer tomato mixture to a medium bowl; stir in watermelon, blueberries, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Watermelon Feta and Basil Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh watermelon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 15-20 basil leaves, chopped
- the juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Cook rinsed quinoa according to directions on the package (which is most likely a 1:2 quinoa to water ratio).
- Let quinoa cool completely and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Toss chopped watermelon with 1/4 teaspoon salt and drizzle with honey.
- In a large bowl, combine cool (or even cold) quinoa, watermelon, crumbled feta and basil.
- Toss well, then squeeze in lime juice and toss again. Serve!
Chili Lime Cucumber Noodles On Salted Watermelon
Ingredients
- 2 flat pieces of watermelon, about 1 inch thick
- juice of 1 lime, divided
- chipotle chili powder, to taste (or other variety of chili powder)
- fat pinch of flaky sea salt, divided
- 1 English cucumber, peeled into noodles with a julienne peeler
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- little squeeze of raw honey or agave nectar
- 2-3 handfuls of arugula
- 2 sprigs of mint, leaves chopped + extra to garnish
- 3 sprigs of basil, leaves chopped + extra to garnish
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled + diced
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the watermelon wedges on two plates. Sprinkle them with a bit of lime juice, some salt, and chipotle powder. Set aside.
- Combine the cucumber noodles in a large bowl with the remaining lime juice, more salt + chipotle powder, olive oil, honey/agave, arugula, mint, and basil.
- Toss to evenly mix. Divide the noodles between the 2 plates, placing them on top of the watermelon.
- Garnish the noodles with avocado, pumpkin seeds, and some fresh pepper. Serve with lime wedges if you like. Eat immediately.
Watermelon and Kiwi Pops
Ingredients
- 5 cups watermelon, pureed (about half of one large watermelon)
- 5 medium kiwi, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Place all watermelon in a blender and process until smooth. Place kiwi slice in mold and fill popsicle wells with watermelon juice. Continue layering like that until wells are full. Insert popsicle stick and let freeze until solid.
- **NOTES**(1) If your watermelon is not at its peak and lacking some sweetness, add 1 tablespoon of agave syrup at a time to the mixture until the preferred sweetness is reached. The number of popsicles this recipe yields will vary on the mold used. The mold used in the photo yields sixteen 3oz popsicles. (4) If your popsicle mold does not have a top, cover the top with foil and outline each well with your fingers. Cut a tiny slit in the middle of each well and insert a popsicle stick
Happy National Watermelon Day, enjoy these recipes!
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.
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