Watermelon Salad – Red, White, and Blue… and Green!

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(Watermelon Salad – recipe in post)
Ah, Independence Day. Gunpowder in the air, children burning themselves with sparklers, and the wafting scent of neighbors firing up their grills… even though it’s so hot they could cook the burgers on the pavement. There’s nothing quite like it!
A couple years ago, a friend brought a salad very similar to this to a party. It consisted of watermelon, cucumber, and onions, dressed in a light vinaigrette. I was dumbfounded that anyone would put watermelon and onions into the same bowl together, but was curious enough to try it… and I could not stop eating it. Of the entire potluck, it was the only thing I kept coming back to again and again.
Remembering that dish, I asked my friends and family if they had the recipe. Before I knew it, a search party was out, trying to find where it was written. The longer I waited the more apparent it became that I wasn’t going to get the original, so I decided to take what I remembered and put my own spin on it.
While I loved that salad exactly how it was, I opted to swap the onions for Jicama, and the vinaigrette for fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime. The blueberries came as an afterthought, for the red-white-and-blue theme, but I have to say they were one of the best parts of this salad.
Crisp, cool, refreshing – perfect to bring to potlucks, barbeques, or just to sit in your underwear and munch on to stay cool. Not that I’m sitting in my underwear eating watermelon… I’m more sophisticated than that.
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Watermelon Salad
2 lbs. fresh watermelon, cut into cubes (1/2 – 1 inch)
1 cup jicama, cut into cubes (1/4 – 1/2 inch)
1 large cucumber, optionally peeled, cut into cubes (1/4 – 1/2 inch)
1 pint blueberries
1 handful fresh basil, chopped (maybe 1/4 cup)
1 small handful fresh mint, chopped (maybe 1/8th cup)
1/2 lime, juiced
Method
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until well chilled.
Enjoy!

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18 Responses to Watermelon Salad – Red, White, and Blue… and Green!

  1. Foodie Stuntman July 4, 2012 at 8:01 pm #

    Took a break from the home inprovement projects, huh? Happy Independence Day!

    • Willow July 4, 2012 at 8:12 pm #

      Indeed – I’ve been eating almost nothing but watermelon the past few days, so I knew I had to stop and photograph this bowl before I dove in. Hope you have a wonderful Fourth!

  2. Courtney J July 5, 2012 at 3:20 am #

    Happy July 4th! :)

    LOVE that you added jicama to this salad! It’s one of my fans. Too bad it’s sooooo difficult to find here :( Grrrr!

    • Willow July 5, 2012 at 10:33 pm #

      Thanks! I never thought of that, but I guess I’m lucky… Whole Foods always seems to have them.

  3. Jen @JuanitasCocina July 5, 2012 at 3:20 pm #

    Beautiful and refreshing! I love all of the flavors in this dish.

    Maybe before potlucks, you should require recipe cards from now on. ;)

    • Willow July 5, 2012 at 10:48 pm #

      Now THAT is a good idea!

  4. Riley July 5, 2012 at 6:50 pm #

    This looks so great! I love that you added jicama. I bet it’s delicious!

  5. Kristy July 5, 2012 at 9:27 pm #

    All these ingredients combined together sounds like a summer dream come true! There’s so much that I love about this recipe. I totally need to pick some watermelon up ASAP! :-)

    • Willow July 5, 2012 at 10:49 pm #

      Heheh – it’s been so hot lately, watermelon is my go-to food. I’ve bought five (yes, five) in the past 3 days. I have one left. :o

  6. Veena Theagarajan July 6, 2012 at 1:42 am #

    Very colorful and lovely salad … Looks great!

    Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

  7. Eileen July 6, 2012 at 2:20 am #

    Wow, this sounds like one of the most summer & refreshing salads ever. Perfect for hot hot holiday weeks!

  8. Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes July 6, 2012 at 3:19 pm #

    I need to get on the Jimaca band wagon – and this salad looks like the perfect start!

    The colors are so pretty – and no judging, you know if you were to be sitting in your undies eating watermelon :)

  9. Steph July 2, 2021 at 6:31 pm #

    We add feta

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