Grilled Watermelon Salad

Grilled watermelon is less sweet than you would think. It's a must try, with pickled radishes and honey-lime vinaigrette.

Grilled Watermelon Salad
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Prep Time:
35 mins
Grill Time:
4 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 2 1-inch-thick slices watermelon

  • 10 cup chopped romaine lettuce

  • 3 cup cooked quinoa

  • 1 recipe Pickled Radishes

  • 1 recipe Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

  • 2 medium avocados, seeded, peeled, and sliced or coarsely chopped

  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese (2 ounces)

  • 2 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

Pickled Radishes

  • ½ cup cider vinegar

  • cup honey

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

  • 1 ½ teaspoon finely shredded lime peel or lemon peel

  • 6 tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice

  • ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil

  • ¼ cup honey

  • 1 ½ tablespoon finely chopped shallot or snipped fresh chives

  • 1 ½ tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. For a charcoal or gas grill, place watermelon on the rack of a covered grill directly over medium-high heat. Grill about 4 minutes or until watermelon is lightly charred, turning once halfway through grilling.

  2. Spread lettuce on a large serving platter. In a large bowl combine quinoa and Pickled Radishes. Add 2/3 cup of the Honey-Lime Vinaigrette; toss to coat. Spoon quinoa mixture on top of lettuce.

  3. Cut each watermelon slice into four wedges. Arrange watermelon wedges and avocados on salad; sprinkle with chili powder. Top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve salad with the remaining vinaigrette.

Pickled Radishes

  1. In a medium bowl combine vinegar, honey, and salt, stirring to dissolve honey and salt. Stir in radishes. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 4 hours. Drain before using.

Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

  1. In a screw-top jar combine lime peel, lime juice, oil, honey, shallot, cilantro, and salt. Cover and shake well. Chill, covered, for at least 20 minutes (up to 3 days). Shake before serving.

To Make Ahead:

Prepare as directed through Step 2, except do not spoon quinoa mixture on top of lettuce. Cover and chill watermelon, lettuce, quinoa mixture, and the remaining vinaigrette separately for up to 24 hours. To serve, spoon quinoa mixture on top of lettuce and continue as directed in Step 3.

Shortcut:

Instead of making Pickled Radishes, use 1 cup thinly sliced fresh radishes. Use about 1 cup bottled vinaigrette salad dressing in place of the Honey-Lime Vinaigrette.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

294 Calories
15g Fat
37g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 294
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 298mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 17mg 85%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 2.2mg 12%
Potassium 588mg 13%
Folate, total 150mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.3mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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