Watermelon Salad with Cotija and Lime
Watermelon salad with cotija, cucumber, and a bright lime dressing. Sweet, salty, refreshing, and ready in 15 minutes.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the salad
- 8 cups cubed watermelon, chilled (about ½ medium-large fruit)
- 1 English cucumber, sliced into ½-inch half-moons
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
- 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved, and thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Add the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, and salt to a small bowl or jar and stir to combine.
- Assemble the salad. Add the watermelon, cucumber, cotija cheese, red onion, mint, and jalapeño to a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cotija cheese: Don’t crumble it too fine. Leaving some bigger chunks gives you a real bite of salty cheese. No cotija? Feta works too.
- Jalapeño: Seed it for a mild salad, or leave some seeds in for more heat.
- Cucumber: English cucumber doesn’t need peeling. If you use a regular cucumber, peel it first.
- Chill first: Chill your watermelon before cutting so the salad is cold right away.
- Storage: This salad is best the day you make it. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a day, though they’ll get waterier as they sit. Give it a stir and serve with a slotted spoon to leave the extra juice behind. To prep ahead, store the chopped fruit and veggies separately and mix the dressing up to a few days early, then toss together right before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1051IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg