Watermelon Salad with Lime Dressing and Peanuts
This recipe was among the plethora of excellent summer sides included in the August 2018 “The Simple Issue” of Bon Appetit. Recipe after recipe featured twists and tweaks on ingredients in their prime.
I held off on sharing this recipe until now because I figured back in September that you were likely over barbecues and looking for inspiration more substantial. But now, as we are gearing up for summer and starting to search for easy, no-cook dishes, the timing feels right.
This recipe was included in a feature article entitled, “Your Fruit Salad Needs Salt.” If you takeaway from this post that directive alone, you will be in good shape, with the fruits of your labor (wink) dramatically uplifted. Watermelon with Lime Dressing and Peanuts caught my eye because the vinaigrette is right up my alley but watermelon is generally not my cup of tea. So I thought, why not dress up an ingredient that I would normally pass by? What have I got to lose? Well let me tell you, that if you’re in my “watermelon = meh” camp, this will convert you and if you have been subsisting on Watermelon-Arugula-Feta Salad for the past three years, there’s a new sheriff in town. Pick up a baby watermelon today and dig right in. I’m looking forward to your comments! Enjoy!
Watermelon Salad with Lime Dressing and Peanuts
- 2 Tbls fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbls fish sauce
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 2 sprigs basil, plus leaves for serving
- ½-1 6-lb. baby seedless watermelon (rind removed, flesh cut into irregular bite-size pieces--about 6 cups)
- ¼ c salted, dry-roasted peanuts
- 2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Stir lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl until sugar dissolves.
- Lightly crush 2 basil sprigs by scrunching up in your hand and add to dressing along with watermelon; toss until gently coated.
- Transfer watermelon salad to a platter, leaving basil sprigs behind.
- Top with peanuts and basil leaves, drizzle with oil, and season with salt.