Strawberry Watermelon Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
This strawberry watermelon salad comes together in 15 minutes with no cooking. A perfect summer side dish with juicy watermelon, fresh strawberries, mint, basil, and a tangy honey lime vinaigrette.
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Chef's Knife
- Melon baller
- Whisk
Ingredients
Fruit and Herbs
- 1 pound strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1/2 seedless watermelon cubed or scooped
- 6 leaves mint thinly sliced
- 3 leaves basil thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for the fruit
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil mild, fruity
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for the dressing
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper optional
Instructions
- Cube the watermelon: Cut the half watermelon into ½-inch-thick slabs, then slice off the rind and dice into bite-sized cubes. Drop them into your large mixing bowl. If you're using a melon baller, scoop directly from the half — it's faster and gives you prettier shapes.
- Slice the strawberries: Hull each berry by cutting off the green top in a thin slice, then cut them into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add them to the bowl with the watermelon. Slice them about the same thickness as the watermelon cubes so every forkful is balanced.
- Chiffonade the herbs: Stack the mint and basil leaves on top of each other, roll them into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise into thin ribbons. Sprinkle them over the fruit along with ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Don't chop — slicing keeps the herbs from bruising and turning black.
- Make the dressing: In your small bowl, combine the honey, lime zest, fresh squeezed lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Whisk until the salt dissolves and everything looks smooth. The honey will want to sink to the bottom — keep whisking.
- Emulsify the oil: Drizzle the olive oil into the honey-lime mixture in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly. Keep going until the dressing looks opaque and thickened slightly. Add the fresh cracked black pepper and whisk once more. If you dump the oil in all at once, it'll separate — take the 20 seconds to drizzle slowly.
- Dress and toss: Drizzle half the vinaigrette over the fruit and herbs. Use your hands or a large spoon to gently toss everything until every piece is glistening. Start with half — you can always add more, but you can't take it back. You want a light coating, not a pool at the bottom of the bowl.
- Serve immediately: Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and eat right away. This strawberry watermelon salad does not improve with sitting — the fruit releases water and the herbs lose their zip. If you're bringing it somewhere, keep the fruit and dressing separate and toss at the destination.
Notes
Assembled salad keeps about 2 hours at room temperature. Dressed leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator will last overnight, but the texture softens noticeably. Undressed prepped fruit stays fresh for 24 hours.