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Grilled watermelon salad

Thursday July 30, 2020 - by

Salads have many benefits. They are usually very healthy and often simple to prepare. In addition, you can add everything you like such as all sorts of fresh summer fruit. In summer time, watermelons are available everywhere. The red juicy fruit is the main ingredient in this grilled watermelon salad. Maybe you don’t think about putting melon in a salad, but it is very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Health benefits

Watermelon is very juicy, because it consists of no less than 95% of water. Ideal for a healthy snack or to make juice from it. Watermelons also contain iron, potassium and a lot of vitamin C. Consuming this fruit also contributes to a beautiful skin. Beta carotene is an antioxidant which helps to create and repair you skin cells. Vitamin C helps to produce collagen, which is important for the skin’s structure. So let’s all eat some watermelon, shall we!

Grilled watermelon

In this recipe I grill the melon before adding to the salad, but if you don’t want to grill it you can easily skip this step. Grilling watermelon is a good idea, because the flesh is firm enough. It’s also perfect for the barbecue. Don’t remove the skin and eat the melon with your hands. Grilling ensures a smoky flavor, but at the same time, the melon does become a bit softer. So if you want to keep the melon firm, I would advice not to grill the watermelon. Furthermore, I added sprouts, almonds, spinach, figs and black olives. Feta is a common combination with watermelon, but instead I use vegan Violife Greek White cheese. Lastly, I finish the salad with a fresh mint lime dressing.

Ingredients grilled watermelon salad

  • Watermelon, approximately 1/4 part
  • Sprouts, a bowl
  • Almonds, 2 small hands full
  • Fresh spinach, 2 large hands full
  • Figs, 3 pieces, chopped
  • Violife Greek White, 50 grams
  • Black olives, 10 pieces, halved
  • Plant-based yogurt, I used soy yogurt, 3 tablespoons
  • Plant-based mayo, 1 tablespoon
  • Lime, half
  • Garlic, 1 clove
  • Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
  • Mint, big hand full
  • Pepper and salt
  • Optional for side: whole grain bread or couscous for example
Watermelon salad with mint and figs
Fresh watermelon salad with mint and figs

Preparation grilled watermelon salad

  1. Toast almonds in a dry skillet for four minutes over medium heat. Cool down on a plate and chop coarsely. I grind the almonds using the pestle and mortar.
  2. Cut the watermelon into four pieces and use one part for your salad depending on how big the melon is. Then cut into pieces and remove skin. Do not cut too thin, because otherwise they become too soft when grilling.
  3. Heat the grill pan over medium heat and grease with olive oil using a sheet of kitchen paper or a brush. Then grill the melon for about four minutes on each side until you notice brown stripes. Let cool down on a plate. Next, place slices of bread in the pan and toast until brown and crispy.
  4. Prepare the sauce by putting the yogurt, mayo and oil together in a bowl. Squeeze the lime, press the garlic and chop the mint. Mix everything together and bring to taste with pepper and salt.
  5. Divide the spinach and sprouts in a large bowl and place the watermelon on top. Add olives and the figs. Finally, crumble the plant-based cheese using your hands and sprinkle the almonds over your watermelon salad.
  6. Serve the grilled watermelon salad with the mint sauce and toasted bread.

Tips

  • Make sure to grill the watermelon pieces are not too thin as they will become too soft. You can also choose not to grill the melon at all.
  • Grill nectarine or mango instead of watermelon for a more sweet flavor.
  • As a side you can serve anything you want such as couscous, bulgur or toasted bread. This recipe is more of a side dish and therefore perfect for a barbecue.
Watermelon salad with mint and figs photographed from above
Toasted whole grain bread and mint sauce

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