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Watermelon Basil Salad
Getting kids to eat salads can be tricky, but what if were made from one of the most kid-friendly fruits … watermelon!! Full of summertime flavours, this quick and easy watermelon basil salad will keep your kiddos happy and have your friends begging to get the recipe! Every bite of this salad is as refreshing and is as packed with flavor as it looks. Try it once, and you’ll have it all season long! Make sure you also try this easy green bean with goat cheese salad for summertime too!
How to Choose a Watermelon
There are many wives’ tails on how to choose the perfect watermelon. Growing up, my Mother taught me to knock on it and listen to the sound but unfortunately doesn’t always work! A better plan is to look for a watermelon that is firm, has a good symmetrical shape and is heavy for its size. Look for a yellow spot on the underside as this is a result of sitting on the ground and ripening in the sun. If the spot is very pale or white, it may have been picked too soon and will not be ripe.
Benefits of Watermelon
Like most fruits and veggies, watermelon is packed with delicious goodness and healthy nutrients! Did you know that watermelon has a lot of added health benefits?
Watermelon contains the highest amount of lycopene among any other fruit or vegetable. Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and age-related eye disorders. This summer watermelon basil salad will not only leave everyone happy but perhaps a little bit healthier too! Watermelon is also good for the following benefits:
- Helps you stay hydrated.
- Help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
- May relieve muscle soreness.
- Improve skin health
- Improves digestion
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Benefits of Basil
Watermelon isn’t the only beneficial ingredient in this salad, basil also has many incredible health benefits. Like watermelon, basil is an anti-inflammatory, improves skin health and aids in healthy digestion, but it is also good for the following benefits:
- Helps detoxify the body.
- Supports Liver Function
- Fights depression
Foods That Compliment Watermelon
Watermelon has a very easy, enjoyable sweet flavour to it. Therefore, there are so many different types of foods that pair well with with it. Due to the neutral, simple flavour watermelon has, foods with bolder flavours complement it very well. Some people find that a boost in acidity will in fact enhance the sweetness of watermelon. Below are a few different foods that go well with watermelon.
- Fruits and Veggies: avocado, pineapple, lemon, lime, red onion, shallots, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, coconut, jalapeño, other honey do melons, arugula lettuce, Romane lettuce, corn.
- Herbs & Spices: mint, chili pepper, salt, ginger.
- Savoury: pork, chicken, halibut, cod, shrimp, scallops, balsamic vinegar.
How to Make Watermelon Basil Salad
Ingredients for Watermelon Basil Salad
- 5 cups of Watermelon
- 1/2 cup of Feta Cheese
- 1 cup Fresh Basil
- Ground Pepper
- Pinch of Salt
- Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
Optional*
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
This recipe is based on approximately half of a large watermelon (5 cups) of watermelon but can easily be doubled, tripled or halved.
Directions for Watermelon Basil Salad
- Cut and Cube a watermelon into bite-size pieces. You’ll need to peel and cut the watermelon into cubes or bite-sized pieces, but you can also use a melon baller, if you’re after a fancier look.
- Add crumbled Feta Cheese to Watermelon. You will want to use feta packed in brine for this recipe as it will be more creamy and moist than feta without brine. It is very easy to crumble your feta by hand if you do get it in the brine.
- Roughly chop, cut or tear a handful or packed cup of fresh basil and add to watermelon and feta. You want to have some punch to this salad so you can be generous with the herbs.
- Add a dash of ground pepper and a pinch of salt to the salad.
- Squeeze the juice from a lime onto the salad. Approximately 1/4 – 1/3 cup of juice.
Substitute the basil in this recipe for mint for a different delicious variation.
Hopefully you enjoyed this simple, easy watermelon basil salad. It seems to be a favourite for so many people. If you do try it, don’t forget to leave a review, share it on Pinterest or let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can always find me over on Instagram too.
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Watermelon Basil Salad
Ingredients
- 5 cups of Watermelon
- 1/2 cup of Feta Cheese
- 1 cup Fresh Basil
- Ground Pepper
- Pinch of Salt
- Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
Optional
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cut and Cube a watermelon into bite-size pieces. You'll need to peel and cut the watermelon into cubes or bite-sized pieces, but you can also use a melon baller, if you're after a fancier look.
- Add crumbled Feta Cheese to Watermelon. You will want to use feta packed in brine for this recipe as it will be more creamy and moist than feta without brine. It is very easy to crumble your feta by hand if you do get it in the brine.
- Roughly chop, cut or tear a handful or packed cup of fresh basil and add to watermelon and feta. You want to have some punch to this salad so you can be generous with the herbs.
- Add a dash of ground pepper and a pinch of salt to the salad.
- Squeeze the juice from a lime onto the salad. Approximately 1/4 – 1/3 cup of juice.
