By Week 385. Year 8. Tommy is 41. The Fourth of July cookout on Claycut Drive — the annual institution, the neighborhood gathering, the brisket or the hog or the ribs on the pit and the thirty or forty people in the driveway and Carl at the door and the sparklers at dusk. Colette (14) in high school, painting. The summer is loud and hot and full.
Made blackened shrimp this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
The shrimp brought the heat and the smoke and the soul of Louisiana into the house, but a cookout on Claycut Drive in the middle of July calls for something that cools things down just as fast as they get fired up — and that’s where this Watermelon Mint Salad earned its place on the table. Thirty-some-odd people in the driveway, sparklers coming out at dusk, Colette somewhere in the crowd with paint still on her hands — this salad is the thing you set out and watch disappear before you even get a plate yourself. Simple, bright, and unapologetically summer.
Watermelon Mint Salad
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the watermelon. Cut the watermelon into 1-inch cubes and place in a large serving bowl. Pat lightly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, salt, and black pepper until the honey is fully dissolved.
- Assemble the salad. Add the sliced red onion and torn mint leaves to the watermelon. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently to combine.
- Finish and serve. If using, scatter the crumbled feta over the top. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving — do not let it sit longer or the watermelon will release too much liquid.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 75 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 95mg