![Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken With Tahini-Yogurt Sauce](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/03/29/multimedia/29SPRING-MAINSrex1-chicken-lhgc/29SPRING-MAINSrex1-chicken-lhgc-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Watermelon, Radish and Avocado Salad
![Watermelon, Radish and Avocado Salad](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/08/16/dining/lh-watermelon-salad/merlin_192901473_9e756af5-37ed-4f56-9b1c-ad1f484418bf-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1pound ¾-inch cubed watermelon, chilled (about 3½ cups)
- 1cup very thinly sliced radishes (4 to 5 radishes)
- 1large shallot, thinly sliced
- 4tablespoons olive oil
- 1tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
- ¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2½ounces baby arugula (about 4 cups)
- 2firm-ripe avocados, halved, pitted and diced
- ⅓cup torn fresh mint or basil leaves
- Shaved ricotta salata (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
Place the watermelon, radishes and shallots in a large serving bowl. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper.
- Step 2
Just before serving, pour half of the dressing over the watermelon, radishes and shallots, and toss well. Add the arugula, the avocado and the rest of the dressing, and toss gently. Top with the fresh mint or basil and ricotta salata, if using. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I made this more or less as written, and my husband said it tasted like a fourteen-dollar salad. I was skeptical about the radishes, but they behaved beautifully. We didn't have champagne vinegar, which would have been lovely, so I used apple cider vinegar--double what was called for.
This was soooo good! Would also make a great main dish salad with the addition of some skewered grilled shrimp or ahi tuna. Really pretty in the bowl.
Unusual, but very good. Give it a try!
Delicious as is and lends itself to adding leftovers like goat cheese crumbles and corn cut from the cob.
I use lime instead of vinegar, and macedonian feta cheese instead of the ricotta. an abundance of fresh mint.
made this yesterday and it was fabulous!!!! Highly recommend this easy and delicious salad....used mixed spinach and arugula for greens and more than 5 radishes ...a full cup
Love this salad! really good with some cold salmon or chicken I used white wine vinegar and tasted fine, very light for hot days
I followed the recipe and found the result bland. When I stored the leftovers after a few hours, the dish was glorious. Just make the fixings about an hour or two before dinner and toss in all the dressing. This salad need to marinate to bring out the great flavors.
Added some coarsely chopped radicchio for even more extra crunch - got rave reviews!
Lovely flavors - watermelon goes suave for date night :-) Too hot today for cheese, and didn't miss it. Served with grilled strip steak, sliced thin, for a languid summer evening. Champagne vinegar may seem to "extra," but I find more and more that I use it for salads and side dishes that call for a delicate flavor. Liked the way it blended with the other ingredients without adding too much acid.
Oh man, this was heaven on a sweltering Philadelphia-area summer day, the kind that kills an appetite. The salad is light, crunchy, pretty and delicious. Used up the other half of the watermelon a week later, and it was just as good. I'm not normally keen about ricotta salata, but it's the perfect cheese here, as it doesn't overpower the melon or the avocado and doesn't fall apart once dressed. A sublimely balanced salad. Brava, Lidey!
I vote to skip the radishes, they didn't seem to add anything. Also, next time, I'll drain the watermelon while I'm preparing everything else and add in the juice to taste. We didn't have arugula, so I used lettuce with a generous helping of cilantro, very nice. Maybe add more avocado next time?
Brought this to a Memorial Day potluck cookout, after realizing someone else was already bringing the guac I’d planned to make. I needed to make something with avocado and other ingredients I had on hand, and this was it. I loved it so much, I’m making more tonight. I made the dressing with lime juice and used mixed greens instead of arugula. I went with basil as the fresh herbs. I combined it all ahead of time to let it marinate, and that works, for sure.
This is the best watermelon salad ever! Loved this so much! A must for the summer!
OH, yeah!!!!!!! This is terrific. We had it with some lentil soup for a perfect supper on a hot summer night. I’ll be dreaming tonight about the leftovers for breakfast.
I tried this tonite with a couple modifications, using chives from my herb garden instead of the shallot. I also swapped lemon juice for the vinegar which worked nicely for us. I topped with mint, also from my garden, which was good, but I think I’ll try the basil next time. And maybe add some goat cheese. This is such a great and easy salad for hot summer nites!
To reduce the weeping from watermelon, mix the chunks with a little sugar and let drain in a colander - in the refrigerator. 30 minutes is good.
This was so good! I didn't have arugula so omitted and added ricotta salata. When I made it a second time in the same week I remembered the arugula but didn't think it added much deliciousness.
I find this missing an element of oomph - probably acid. Squeezed some fresh lime. Maybe finish with a light vinegar too.
The salad dressing needs more flavor. Next time I make, I want to add some lemon juice in addition to the vinegar. Other than that, this salad was a delight!
This was DELICIOUS! Followed the recipe to the letter. My husband was very skeptical, and he really enjoyed it . We added a little bit of grilled chicken. I highly recommend this!
Oh man, this was heaven on a sweltering Philadelphia-area summer day, the kind that kills an appetite. The salad is light, crunchy, pretty and delicious. Used up the other half of the watermelon a week later, and it was just as good. I'm not normally keen about ricotta salata, but it's the perfect cheese here, as it doesn't overpower the melon or the avocado and doesn't fall apart once dressed. A sublimely balanced salad. Brava, Lidey!
Very easy to make and very tasty as well. Definitely need to eat as soon as you add the dressing.
This was easy to make, looked great, and tasted fabulous! We used more radishes and water melon than recipe called for and left out ricotta. As another reader suggested, also ate with grilled shrimp. Yum!
Lovely flavors - watermelon goes suave for date night :-) Too hot today for cheese, and didn't miss it. Served with grilled strip steak, sliced thin, for a languid summer evening. Champagne vinegar may seem to "extra," but I find more and more that I use it for salads and side dishes that call for a delicate flavor. Liked the way it blended with the other ingredients without adding too much acid.
Watermelons are at their very best right now!
Advertisement