Watermelons are a summer treat. When the weather is stifling hot and appetites fade, cooling foods and drinks are essential. Thick, ruby-red slices of watermelon, as wide as dinner plates, provide natural sweetness and thirst-quenching refreshment with every juicy, dribbling bite.
But watermelons offer more than simple refreshment: They are nourishing and hydrating. Their weight consists of 92% water, while the remaining 8% is packed with vitamins A and C, along with nutrients such as magnesium and potassium. In the Mediterranean, watermelon is served at breakfast and throughout the day as a light and juicy snack that’s easy to eat. It’s also delicious in salads, where its mild sweetness complements peppery greens, sharp onions and salty cheeses.
Seedless varieties make watermelons convenient for snacking, as well as chopping and dicing when adding to salads. In this simple bulgur salad, watermelon joins briny feta cheese and sweet snap peas for a light and refreshing meal that won’t weigh you down in the heat. Serve it as a light meal or a vegetarian dish for your next barbecue. And don’t worry — there’s still plenty of room at the table for thick watermelon slices when you’re craving that classic slurpy bite.
Watermelon and Bulgur Salad
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup medium-grained bulgur
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Zest of one lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for garnish
1/2 small seedless watermelon, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, about 3 cups
1 cup snap peas, halved
4 ounces feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint leaves
Directions
Rinse the bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve.
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the bulgur, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cumin. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let stand with the cover on and without disturbing the bulgur for 10 minutes more.
Add the lime zest to the bulgur and fluff with a fork. Transfer to a serving bowl and cool to room temperature.
Whisk the 1/4 cup oil, lime juice, black pepper and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing to the bulgur and stir to combine. (The rest will be drizzled over the salad.)
Transfer the bulgur to a serving platter or wide bowl. Scatter the watermelon and snap peas over the bulgur. Top with the feta, parsley and mint. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.
Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and recipe developer, and authors the blog TasteFood.
