Make the most of peak-season watermelons with these cookout starters and sides, with recipes from Jacques Pépin, Tom Colicchio, and more. Juicy watermelon plays well with mint, feta, and more contrasting flavors and textures, including summer produce like cucumbers, radishes, and tomatoes. You can even add a bit of heat with cayenne pepper, chiles, or jalapeño. Dressed to crowd-pleasing perfection with drizzles of olive oil, quick dressings, and dip, these are our favorite watermelon salads to keep in rotation all summer.
01 of 10
Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Istanbul-based chef Defne Koryürek adds a nutty, peppery flavor to her 30-minute salad, sprinkling crunchy nigella seeds over watermelon chunks and creamy fresh goat cheese.
Get the Recipe
02 of 10
Peanut and Watermelon Chaat
Credit: Cedric Angeles
Mississippi chef Vishwesh Bhatt adds the crunchy, tangy, spicy elements of an Indian chaat to this peanut and watermelon salad, which also features cucumber, onion, radishes, and fresh herbs. The peanuts are pre-roasted with curry leaves and chaat masala, which along with cayenne and a serrano pepper lend a wonderful balance to all that juicy sweetness.
Get the Recipe
03 of 10
Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Sesame-Miso Dressing
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
The juicy crunch of watermelons and the nutty crunch of pepitas, sesame seeds, and puffed rice cereal are a heavenly match in this surprising take on the traditional watermelon-tomato salad. Miso paste, soy sauce, and sea salt bring a savory contrast, while togarashi flakes add a hint of heat.
Get the Recipe
04 of 10
Watermelon-Cucumber Salad
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Nutty aged goat cheese and crunchy sunflower kernels enhance the textures in this 20-minute summer salad from 2022 F&W Best New Chef Damarr Brown.
Get the Recipe
05 of 10
Grilled Cobia Salad with Corn and Watermelon
Credit: John Kernick
Fish and watermelon might seem like a strange combination, but this salad by St. Louis–based chef Kevin Willmann will change your mind. Sweet, flaky cobia is seasoned simply and grilled with a poblano pepper and some corn, which lend a smoky, earthy sweetness to the watermelon.
Get the Recipe
06 of 10
Watermelon Salad with Mint and Lime
Credit: John Kernick
North Carolina chef Matt Neal incorporates fresh lime juice, cayenne pepper, and mint leaves in this simple salad — and recommends adding a splash of rum.
Get the Recipe
07 of 10
Watermelon Salad with Grilled Shrimp
Credit: Richard Jung
If you’re planning on grilling shrimp this summer, 2002 F&W Best New Chef Grant Achatz’s watermelon salad was pretty much made to complement its briny, smoky flavor. A mix of red and yellow watermelon gives it a distinctive look, and cucumber water (not pieces) ensures there’s a delicious vegetal hint throughout the salad.
Get the Recipe
08 of 10
Thai-Style Radish and Watermelon Salad
Credit: Michael Turek
Tom Colicchio adds texture, spice, and color to his salad with radishes, chiles, and a fish-sauce dressing.
Get the Recipe
09 of 10
Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad with Mint
Credit: Con Poulos
The pea shoots in this watermelon salad recipe from F&W’s Justin Chapple bring a vegetal balance to the juicy fruit. But the real highlight is the dressing — a mix of rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame seeds, and shallots. The result is savory, acidic, and slightly pungent.
Get the Recipe
10 of 10
Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Spicy Feta Sauce
Credit: Maura McEvoy
Simply arrange watermelon and grape tomatoes with chopped basil and olive oil for this version. Chef Ana Sortun chars jalapeño to blend with feta and olive oil for a flavor-packed dipping sauce.
Get the Recipe
Read the original article on Food & Wine
Dining and Cooking