Five surprising ways to use watermelon
Almost everyone loves watermelon, right? It’s delicious, colourful and healthy. Right now, it’s in season and so prices are good. It’s a surprisingly versatile ingredient in lots of dishes and drinks – read on to find out more.
A member of the cucurbit or gourd family, which includes pumpkins, zucchini and cucumbers, watermelons are the sweet and showy member of the species, known for its delicious, vivid pink, refreshing flesh which is 91% water.
Besides eating it by the slice, watermelon can be used in lots of ways. Here are our top five suggestions:
1. In a salad
Watermelon pairs really well with savoury ingredients like a sharp cheese and salad greens for refreshing summer salads with a twist.
- Marinate small cubes of watermelon in balsamic vinegar and then toss through with rocket, basil and goat’s cheese and a grind of black pepper.
- Fry some haloumi, slice some red onion, add some pomegranate seeds and some torn mint and toss through with cubes of watermelon and a simple vinaigrette dressing.
2. In a salsa
For a delicious salsa to top tacos, grilled chicken or fish:
- Dice watermelon, cucumber, and red and yellow capsicum into 1cm cubes, add diced red onion, coriander, and a few squeezes of lime juice, and you have a delicious salsa to top tacos, grilled chicken or fish.
3. In a cocktail
Watermelon gives a very pretty blush to any cocktail. Simply blend watermelon in a blender, strain it, and use as follows:
- Add to a gin and tonic
- Make a watermelon Cosmo using watermelon in place of cranberry juice
- Shake some watermelon juice with a shot of tequila, some mint, fresh lime juice and ice together in a cocktail and strain into a margarita glass.
4. In an icypole
Icypoles are a great summer treat to have in the freezer - but the commercial brands are made with PLENTY of sugar and other additives that mightn’t be the healthiest. So, make your own:
- Blend 500g of watermelon with a dash of maple syrup (to taste) and about a quarter of a cup of lime or orange juice, pour into icypole moulds and freeze.
5. In a smoothie
Due to its high water content, watermelon might not be your smoothie go-to but give it a try, it’s delicious! And it’s perfect for people who don’t like to add a whole lot of milk to their smoothies.
- Blitz 3 cups of watermelon chunks with 1 cup strawberries, half a cup of Greek yoghurt, half a tablespoon of honey (optional), half a cup of water, coconut water or almond milk, and a few fresh mint leaves and enjoy! Use frozen strawberries if you want a really cold smoothie.
