Watermelon Greek Salad and Watermelon Limeade

Enjoying fresh, sweet, juicy watermelon is essential to summertime fun. When the heat rolls in, watermelon shines as a healthful, refreshing treat to cool us off and help us stay hydrated. We love watermelon so much that we wanted to share with you two delicious recipes that pair beautifully together and showcase this lovely fruit in different ways.

The first is our Watermelon Greek Salad. This twist on a Greek salad combines juicy watermelon, cool cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, crisp red onions, and briny olives with a burst of fresh mint and parsley. The salad is topped with a simple lime vinaigrette allowing every bite to be packed with sweet, vibrant, tangy, and savory flavors. Our second recipe is a watermelon limeade. It is a delicious way to use the remaining watermelon, mint, and lime from the salad to create a crisp and refreshing beverage with a tasty balance of hydrating sweet and tart flavors.

Both recipes will not only refresh your taste buds but also refresh your body with anticancer, immune boosting, and skin-strengthening components to help us feel energized for outdoor fun. These recipes are also perfect accompaniments for any gathering, BBQ, or pool party but are also simple enough for those days you need a quick, fresh, colorful salad and cooling beverage to relax and enjoy.

One medium to large watermelon should provide more than enough for the salad, drink, and some extra to snack on. To pick a good watermelon, you want it to sound hollow sounding when you knock on it and display a strong, consistent stripe pattern.

Watermelon Greek Salad

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Salad

• 3 cups watermelon, cubed
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced or sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1 English cucumber (peeled if desired) or 3 Persian cucumbers sliced into half moons
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup olives, pitted and sliced (kalamata work great)
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• 1/2 bunch of mint leaves, chopped
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• A sprinkle of salt and pepper

Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 2-3 limes)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix together.
3. Taste and sprinkle with salt and pepper as needed.

The salad will hold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Watermelon Limeade

Ingredients

• 4 cups watermelon, diced (for a slushie you can freeze the watermelon)
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 bunch of mint leaves

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaves.

Nutrient Highlights

Watermelon: Helps us regulate hydration due to its high amount of water and electrolytes. It is also packed full of detoxifying components such as potassium, magnesium, anthocyanins, and a specific amino acid called citrulline (that helps remove toxins from the kidneys).  Reduces cancer risk with its high amount of lycopene and vitamin C.

Tomatoes: A great source of lycopene that helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease and protects skin integrity. Cooking tomatoes in healthy fat (such as olive or avocado oil) increases the amount of available lycopene the body will absorb.

Cucumber: One of the most hydrating foods to help the body regulate temperature, physical performance, and metabolism. It can also help with balancing blood sugar levels.

Onions: Considered a prebiotic, meaning it feeds the “good” bacteria in our gut and promotes a healthy digestive system. Research supports that compounds in onions, such as allicin, have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective properties.

Mint and Parsley: Contain a range of protective vitamins such as Vitamins A, C, and K. They are Packed full of antioxidants that help reduce oxidative stress in the body, including lutein, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin. These are known not only to reduce the risk of cancer but can also prevent age-related macular degeneration and support liver health.

Lime juice: Packed full of a multitude of nutrients such as vitamin C, flavonoids, and fiber which aid in vascular protection, reduce inflammation, improve gastrointestinal function and health, and play an important role in preventing diabetes, cancer, and neurological disease. The vitamin C in the lemon juice will aid in the intestinal absorption of iron from plant-based sources.