Can you think of your favorite flavors of summer? Summertime fresh produce comes to mind including melons, berries, citrus fruits, and bright green herbs. Why not blend them together for a powerful (and healing!) tasty recipe sure to please your family and guests. Start with juicy watermelon!
Since watermelon is the star of this feature recipe, let’s take a look at what it has to offer. Feeling the summer heat? Skip nasty, chemically-laden and sugar-based sports drinks and grab a slice of watermelon instead. The electrolytes your body needs (including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are all found in watermelon. And, the nutritional bonanza doesn’t stop there. You’ll also find phosphorus, iron, selenium, manganese, copper, and zinc.
And, talk about nutrients — oy! In addition to Protein, Fiber, and Folate, watermelon contains the whole alphabet of vitamins including — A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, K, Niacin, and Pantothenic Acid.
Try this recipe below for a new juicy twist on getting even more nutrients into your next batch of fruit salad. Feel free to swap out and substitute your summertime favorites.
Taste of Summer
Watermelon Citrus Breeze Salad
1 Watermelon, cubed (small – about 5# whole)
1/3 C Oil, choose your favorite*
3 TB Lemon (or lime) juice
1 tsp Sea salt
½ C Blueberries**
1 C Mint, fresh, chopped
Zest – citrus rinds
DIRECTIONS: Cut up the watermelon and rinse the berries. Whisk together the oil, juice, salt, and mint. Toss all together and garnish with more fresh mint and zest of the citrus rinds.
This is a great “make-ahead” recipe as the flavors meld and marry well when it sits in the fridge (loosely covered) for an hour or so before serving. Just re-toss and enjoy!
*Use your favorite healthy, light-tasting oil such as olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, macadamia nut oil, etc. Click here to learn more about healthy oils and to print out your own handy Downloadable Healthy Fats and Oils Guide.
**Experiment with other seasonal favorite berry options such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and more. Add more or fewer to your liking.
Ready to dig in?
While this recipe is allergen free – free from dairy, grains, sugar, nuts, etc. — what variations sound good to you? Perhaps you’d add walnuts, pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds? Maybe fresh parsley or basil? Adding cantaloupe and/or honeydew along with diced cucumbers would be yummy, too. Of course, seasonings are also very personal. Add cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, or any other favorite seasoning blends, if you like.
What are your favorite summertime flavor combinations? Share below!
