This Chili Lime Watermelon Salad recipe from The Whole Whole Smiths is the perfect summer salad for everyone. It’s naturally gluten-free and packs up perfectly for any occasion.

Here we are, the dog days of summer. These are the days that I want to soak in all of the popsicles, sunshine and watermelon I can. I know my time left with the remaining bits of summer is fleeting and I need to get them all in while I can before it becomes pumpkin season fall.

Watermelon as a salad?

Growing up the only way to eat watermelon was as a slice. Anything else was unheard of. And a watermelon salad? Blasphemy! But as the foodie world has evolved and the internet has created a vast exchange of food ideas a watermelon salad isn’t something we balk at any longer. In fact, I’d say it’s crave worthy on a hot day.

The appeal of any watermelon salad comes from the delicate balance of salty and sweet, which this recipe indeed has. I also love the heat and sweet combination of flavors so I threw that in as well. But never fear, it’s not a spicy dish so it’s still kid-friendly.

It’s zesty, but not spicy. The queso fresco adds a bit of briny, coolness to this dish. If you haven’t had queso fresco yet, it’s a crumbly cheese that brings a punch of creamy saltiness to any dish. In fact, it’s become one of my favorite ingredients. While queso fresco is typically used in Mexican and Latin dishes I find it to be extremely versatile and use it frequently in many dishes, in particular salads.

Why does cilantro taste like soap to some?

On to the herbs. Any good salad needs a fresh herb to make it a top-notch salad and in this case we used fresh cilantro. Personally I love the taste of cilantro but I know there’s a lot of people out there that can’t handle the taste on cilantro. Did you know that cilantro contains a natural chemical compound called an aldehyde that people experience differently taste-wise? Aldehydes are compounds that are also produced in the soap making process and why some people say that cilantro tastes like soap to them. So you ether love it or hate it in your food.

If you’re one of them that hate it, chop of some fresh basil instead. We’ve made this recipe using basil in the past because that’s what we had on hand and it tastes lovely as well.

So many ways to enjoy watermelon.

I mentioned that “back in the day” we would just eat watermelon as-is but there are so many ways to enjoy it now. Whether it’s in a drink like my Cucumber Watermelon Cooler or these Strawberry Watermlon Popsicles there are endless ways to enjoy watermelon today. Not to mention all sorts of ways to slice it up!

The easiest way to cut a watermelon these days is using the method demonstrated in this video. It makes cubing the watermelon particularly easy and you’ll find your cubes to be more uniform.

Enjoy this recipe and consider saving it to your Pinterest board so it’s ready when you need it!

Tips:

Feel free to use fresh peaches in place of watermelon. The flavors work just as beautifully with peaches as well. You may need to adjust the amount of dressing depending on how many peaches you use.
Make this salad about 2 to 3 hours prior to serving and store in the refrigerator to let the flavors marinate together.
Goat cheese makes a great substitute for queso fresco.

Is this Whole30 or paleo?

Only if you omit the cheese and check the ingredients in the seasoning you use.

Can I use other melons for this recipe?

Yes! Honeydew and cantaloupe are great substitutions.

Is this spicy? My kids won’t eat spicy foods.

Nope! It has a kick to it from the seasoning but it is not hot spicy.

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