Last week, a picture of a pumpkin cheesecake popped up in my Facebook feed and I was like no.
And then I went all Tracy-Morgan-from-Cop-Out.
NO. NONONONONONO.
HELL. NO.
It’s July. And I want no part of pumpkin creamy salted apple Thanksgiving caramel candy corn baked casserole pumpkin anything.
What I do want? Sweet, figure-friendly summer fruit. Doused in figure-unfriendly tequila.
And we all know that fruit and tequila go together perfectly.
One of my favorite throw-together summer side salads is watermelon, red onion, feta, jalapeno, and a big handful of cilantro, sprinkled with just a little salt and a squeeze of lime. It has everything you could want in a summer side, except tequila.
Cut in larger chunks, it makes a fabulous salad. Cut in smaller dice, it’s makes a fabulous salsa for a no-cook chips-and-salsa dinner on the patio.
So it’s no surprise that one of my favorite recipes from Pastry Queen Parties is a similar blend of flavors taken to the next level with a tequila-lime vinaigrette. It has everything you could want in a summer side, including tequila.
The Pastry Queen serves her spiked watermelon salad in scooped out personal-sized watermelon bowls. So fancy. I opt for the no-fuss approach: a 12-year-old tupperware bowl that’s missing its lid.
Watermelon Salad with Tequila-Lime Vinaigrette
Watermelon and feta salad get a summery kick from a tequila and lime vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 5 generous cups 1.5-inch dice watermelon (about 1 small watermelon)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Handful of cilantro, chopped
- 3 oz crumbled feta
- 1 jalapeno, diced (optional - but go for it)
- For the vinaigrette:
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tequila
- 1-2 Tbsp honey
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Lightly toss the watermelon, onion, cilantro, feta, and jalapeno in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, tequila, 1 Tbsp honey, salt and red wine vinegar together.
- Taste for sweetness and whisk in the extra honey, if desired.
- Pour over immediately before serving.
- If you anticipate having leftovers, only dress half the salad with half the dressing - the watermelon will water down the dressing the longer it sits. Dress additional salad as needed.
Notes
Yields: ~8 servings
Estimated time: 20 minutes