Simple Recipes: Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Is there anything better than munching on some watermelon in the summer? The answer is no, there is not. The feeling of that sweet, sweet nectar of watermelon juice hitting my taste buds is on par with the first time I heard the Beach Boys. It was a melody of amazing just hitting me all at once. You know what? We’ll get to the watermelon cucumber salad recipe in a moment, but first, I need you to just listen to this. It’s already queued up to the right spot.
That’s a chorus of angels singing about being on a yacht. Have you ever heard anything so magical? That’s what eating watermelon is like for me. If you feel similar joy when you take a bite, then this watermelon cucumber salad is for you. It’s also for you if you like meals that take, like, eight minutes tops to put together. Let’s do it!
Getting Your Watermelon Ready
This is the most time-consuming part of the whole recipe, and it still isn’t terribly difficult. You can even cheat and just get pre-cut watermelon. I won’t tell anyone.
If you’re going the whole watermelon route, take your half watermelon and cut it into four wedges. You’ll run your knife along the rind because WE DO NOT want to be eating that gross skin. Throw it in the trash and celebrate.
The Rest of the Watermelon Salad
This is definitely a simple recipe, and it’s a fairly healthy recipe, too. However, you don’t want to go TOO heavy on either the watermelon or blueberries, since your sugar counts will get up there. This salad is low on calories, which is awesome. However, a cup of blueberries (7.5g of sugar) and your wedge of watermelon (around 15g of sugar) can add up quickly. And unlike certain kinds of sugar rush, you don’t want this one invading your senses.
Luckily, you’re getting a ton of great benefits, too. Blueberries are full of antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber, while watermelon is a nice hydration source. Cucumbers can also give you some nice fiber and potassium elements. And you’re saving one whole calorie by having it sans skin. Look at you go!
You can top the salad with goat cheese, or feta also works. Really, you could do whatever kind of cheese your heart desires. I love me some goat cheese, so that’s my jam. But if you’re like, “you know what? I’m feeling some gruyere today!” you just go right ahead. There’s an optional step of tossing everything in lemon juice, though again, that’s entirely up to you. I’ve made this salad just with watermelon, blueberries, cucumbers, and goat cheese, and it was PHENOMENAL. Happy eating!
Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Ingredients (Serves 4)
½ large watermelon, cut into cubes
2 seedless cucumbers, peeled
2 cups blueberries
½ cup goat cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
1. If you have a full watermelon, cut it in half. Take that half and cut it into fourths. Slide your knife against the rind so the watermelon wedges are free from those rind-y constrictions. Cut the watermelon into small chunks. If you want to save time, you can get pre-cut watermelon chunks, though you won’t get NEARLY the same amount of freshness.
2. Peel your cucumbers (I prefer seedless ones for simplicity’s sake) and cut into small slices. Those will work for your salad, but you can also cut those slices in half to create smaller bites.
3. Combine watermelon pieces, cucumber slices, blueberries, and (optional) lemon juice into a large bowl. Toss until pieces are mixed together. Divide into smaller bowls and sprinkle with goat cheese. Enjoy!
