Grilled Watermelon Salad

27.06.2013 Jackie Dodd-Mallory (Senior Editor) 18 Comments

Grilled watermelon salad is the perfect summer side dish. Slice up some watermelon rings, throw them on the grill (literally if you’re brave enough), wait for some gorgeous smokey grill marks to spear and you’re half way there.

If you don’t have a grill, a grill pan will work fine. You can also skip the egregious use of fire all together and just cut the watermelon into bite sized chunks. The saltiness of the Cotija and the briny quick-pickled red onions set of that great sweetness of in-season watermelons.

It’s also a great salad to serve at room temperature, making it the perfect low maintenance side dish to serve on your summer party table. It also has a lovely sweetness that pairs well with a spicy food, I served it with these wings. It does not, however, keep very well. If you plan to make it ahead of time, keep all of the components separate and toss just prior to serving.

If you need a patriotic plan for the rest of the watermelon, check this out.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or rice wine)
• 1 tbs raw honey
• ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 slices (2 inch thick each) watermelon
• ½ cup crumbed Cotija cheese (can substitute feta)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and honey. Add the red onions, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Place the watermelon slices on a hot grill until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Remove the watermelon rind and chop the grilled watermelon into bite sized chunks, place in a large serving bowl.
4. Pour the red onion and the vinegar over the watermelon. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and cilantro.