Watermelon Salad with Margarita Dressing

Watermelon Salad with Margarita Dressing

Okay, I concede that the best watermelon “recipe” is nothing more than an ice-cold melon on a sweltering summer day. But this salad is pretty darn good, too. This quick, gorgeous recipe takes the idea of a spiked melon and really zhuzhes it up. All you need to do is arrange the colorful ingredients on a pretty platter and drizzle it with a dressing that’s straight out of a margarita playbook.  

It’s best to enjoy this refreshing salad soon after it’s assembled, while the raw sugar and coarse salt remain crunchy. If any leftovers turn too juicy to serve as salad, turn it into a great fruity gazpacho by pulsing it in a food processor or blender.  

Makes 8 to 10 servings 

Ingredients  

• 1 small watermelon (5 to 6 pounds) 
• 1 cup diced seedless cucumber, peeled only if the skin is bitter 
• 1 cup colorful miniature tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño 
• 2 1/2 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled 
• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 2 tablespoons tequila 
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier 
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced or torn fresh mint leaves 
• 2 tablespoons coarse, raw sugar 
• 1 tablespoon coarse or flaked salt 
• 1 teaspoon ground black lime or the finely grated zest from the fresh limes 

Directions

Cut away the rind of the melon and discard it or reserve it for another recipe. Cut the melon into a pretty combination of large and bite-size pieces. Arrange the melon, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and ricotta salata on a serving platter.  

Place the lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.  

Sprinkle the mint, jalapeno, sugar, salt, and black lime over the salad.  

Serve soon, while the salt and sugar remain crunchy. The longer the salad sits, the juicier it becomes because the melon will release its juice. 

©Copyright 2024 Cheryl Day

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.