August 3rd is National Watermelon Day. Who dreamed up this holiday? Honestly, I have no clue. But any time I get to celebrate with good friends and delicious food, I embrace the opportunity as often as a single mom possibly can! This colorful watermelon salsa is the perfect way to celebrate a day dedicated to one of summer time’s favorite fruits. It is packed full of flavor, low in calories and loaded with nutrients, so you can indulge all day long and not have to feel a single pang of guilt. Serve it with your favorite chips as an appetizer or snack, use it to perk up a lackluster salad or serve it as a condiment with grilled fish.
WATERMELON SALSA
This recipe is merely a guide, please don’t feel obligated to follow it word for word. It is very simple to adapt to various tastes and dietary restrictions.
Ingredients
- 4 cups red and yellow seedless watermelon, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup miniature heirloom tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, finely diced
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl and gently toss or stir to combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving, allowing the flavors to blend.
Tips
- If you cannot find miniature heirloom tomatoes, or you are trying to save a little money, grape or cherry tomatoes will work wonderfully in this recipe.
- For a milder salsa, replace the jalapeno with a green chile (for a little spice) or a red/yellow bell pepper (for no spice). Want to kick up the heat? Choose your favorite variety of hot pepper. I prefer working with habaneros.
- For a fruitier, more dessert style salsa simply replace the tomatoes with your favorite fresh tropical fruit. Pineapple, mango or guava would work wonderfully. Swap out the cilantro with fresh mint and reduce the amount to taste and replace the green onions with shredded coconut. Remove the salt altogether and reduce the amount of black pepper to taste.
- For the best flavor and freshest produce, I highly recommend buying locally grown fruits and veggies whenever possible. Yankee Street Market, Massie Produce and Pumpkins, Treadway Gardens, Fulton Farms and Mile Creek Farm are just a few of the local produce suppliers to choose from.
