Watermelon & Peach Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Clean white sand, lapping waves, a clear blue sky and an amazing watermelon salad. That was a Saturday morning on Long Beach with my friends Marie and Susan. Travel an hour outside of NYC on the train, and you’re at the beach! This really excited me. I lived in the city for a little over 8 years, yet my hour train rides only took me as far as Brooklyn, and never to the beach. Coney Island doesn’t count, I wouldn’t touch that water with a ten-foot pole, but Long Beach was different. We headed out to the beach with an intention: make a terrific salad and photograph it.

Susan is a professional photographer (she took ALL of these gorgeous photos!), Marie an expert on safe tanning (among other things), and you all know, I’m the cook. So with the promise of fun in the sun, and stunning photographs I created a stunner of a summer salad, Watermelon Peach Salad with Basil, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Lime Vinaigrette.

Why watermelon?

Watermelon is a very nutritious fruit. While satisfying your need for sweet, watermelon will cool you down, give you a boost of energy and pump your body full of free radical fighting antioxidants.

Due to my sincere love of watermelon, it is rare that I eat it with anything else.

So often I want only to experience the satiating crispness of biting into a red and juicy piece. I love my pineapple watermelon basil agua fresca, but I hardly ever make it because I love eating plain watermelon even better. So when Susan suggested I create a watermelon dish for our day at the beach, I wracked my brain, trying to come up with a recipe idea. Then, once I stopped worrying about it, it came to me. I had the perfect recipe that would highlight the texture of the watermelon and even enhance the flavor. The buttery soft texture of ripe peach along with the crunch of toasted seeds and tangy lime vinaigrette are brilliant supporting characters. Upon my first bite, I knew I had reached watermelon salad heaven! Quick, easy, inexpensive and incredibly delicious you must make this salad before the season is over!

Susan’s photos are so gorgeous, I find myself drooling all over again : )

Save now, cook later.

We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Pin Print

5 from 6 votes

Watermelon Peach Salad (Refreshing & Summery 10-Min Dish!)

By: Jenné Claiborne

Watermelon and peach salad is summer in a bowl — refreshing, bright, and finished with a nutty, salty crunch from toasted pumpkin seeds. It's the kind of dish that's great for cookouts, summer dinner sides, or an easy, beach-ready lunch.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Watermelon Peach Salad

• ▢ 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon, cubed
• ▢ 1 cup tomatoes, cherry, grape, or Roma; halved or diced the same size as watermelon pieces
• ▢ 2 peaches, pitted and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Lime Vinaigrette

• ▢ 2 limes, juiced
• ▢ 1 tsp coconut nectar, or agave syrup
• ▢ 1 dash sea salt
• ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

To Finish

• ▢ 1 handful fresh basil, whole or chiffonade
• ▢ 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, plain or salted

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Place the watermelon, peaches, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Very gently toss to combine.
• Add the lime juice, coconut nectar or agave syrup, and sea salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until well combined. While running, slowly pour in the olive oil.
• Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette onto the salad, then gently stir in basil and half of the pumpkin seeds until the salad is well combined.
• When serving, drizzle a bit more vinaigrette over the salad and garnish with the remaining seeds.

Notes

• Emulsifying the dressing: For the smoothest dressing, blend the lime juice, coconut nectar, and salt first, then drizzle the olive oil in slowly while the blender runs to emulsify rather than separate.
• Dressing the salad: Add the dressing in two parts: toss with about ¼ cup and let it marinate up to an hour for the best flavor, then drizzle the rest on just before serving. Don’t prep more than a few hours ahead — the fruit and tomatoes soften and lose their fresh bite.
• Uniform vegetables: Cut the watermelon, peaches, and tomatoes roughly the same size so every bite gets a little of everything.
• Use a gentle hand: Toss gently so you don’t crush the fruit.
• Ripe fruit is best: Use ripe peaches and watermelon for the best flavor. Look for a watermelon that feels heavy for its size with a deep yellow patch where it rested on the ground, and peaches that smell fragrant and give just slightly when pressed.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1463IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!