Anytime I take my watermelon salad to a bbq it’s the first platter to turn up empty. That’s because I use garden fresh strawberries and tomatillos to nail the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It’s so refreshing, juicy and hydrating on a hot day that I started making double the amount for get togethers. With just a few chops of my knife, I can have a huge batch ready in 10 minutes.
I created this tart and sweet strawberry, tomatillo and watermelon salad almost by accident. It was one of those rare moments at the grocery store where every piece of fruit I picked up was so fresh it practically glowed. Bright green tomatillos, deep red strawberries and watermelon – so heavy for its size – I knew it had to be crisp and juicy inside. Basically, the quality produce determined my next step: buy it all and create this hydrating fruit salad.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This
- Making watermelon salad taught me a valuable lesson. The secret to its success is simply using the freshest ingredients you can find. The fruit does all the work.
- While watermelon is the marquee ingredient, I used tomatillos for bright, acidic tanginess. I rely on that tartness to contrast the sweetness from the strawberries and watermelon without having to create an unecessarily complex vinaigrette.
- The other lesson: tomatillos aren’t optional. Don’t substitute them with regular tomatoes. They’re not the same. Remember, I let the fruit do the heavy lifting here.
Expert Tip Picking ripe tomatillos at the market isn’t hard but there is one essential step you shouldn’t skip. Open up the husk! You’re looking for a bright green skin that feels firm when you press it gently. Don’t worry if the skin is a little sticky. But if they are shriveled or blemished, don’t get them. I made the mistake once – when making tomatillo sauce for grilled corn – of not fully inspecting them in the produce aisle. That day I returned home with rotten tomatillos. Yuck! It’s a blunder you only make once, but trust me on this one.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Watermelon and Strawberries: The sweeter and juicier the better. I use small, round seedless watermelon whenever possible. And I use any extra strawberries and watermelon to make this Korean fruit punch.
- Tomatillos: These are Mexican husk tomatoes with a tangy, almost citrusy flavor. They’re usually used in bright salsas. But for this recipe I simply chop them.
- Shallot: One small, finely chopped shallot introduces delicate oniony, peppery notes.
- Mint: Shredded mint leaves are fresh, sweet and cooling.
- Olive Oil: I always use first press extra virgin olive oil when I make this watermelon salad. This isn’t optional.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Tart but mellow. Rich fruity flavor. Imagine if figs came in liquid form.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
Expert Tip Shallots can be a little bitter. To tone down that bitterness, I soak the chopped shallots in water for 10-15 minutes – and then drain well before I use them.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No balsamic vinegar? That’s ok! I’ve substituted both apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar before. They both have a mild tartness with a sweet edge. Easy switch.
- If you don’t have shallots, just finely chop a bit of red onion and use that instead. Use the same water trick to remove that sharp bitterness.
How to Make Watermelon Salad
- Prep the ingredients. Basically you’re just chopping fruit here. But I like to chop everything on the smaller side so every bite I take includes all the ingredients. Place the chopped strawberries, tomatillos, watermelon and shallots in a large bowl and gently toss.
- Add the oil and vinegar. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss until evenly distributed.
- Season, garnish and serve. Top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, mint leaves and serve immediately.
Recipe Variations
- Add hand torn basil leaves. The combination of basil and mint introduces an almost Southeast Asian flavor profile.
- Add crumbled feta cheese. I sometimes add Feta for a creamy, salty, tangy element. It goes great in both savory chopped salads and fruit salads.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for 1 day.
This watermelon salad tastes best when freshly assembled. And unfortunately, I’ve found leftovers to be a little dull and watery by day 2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do a smell test. Go for the ones that smell sweet and fruity. A strawberry that smells like a strawberry is the best predictor of quality. Less accurate, but decent, is to look for strawberries that are uniformly red. This method doesn’t always work – but more often than not a strawberry that’s red through and through will taste good. Shape doesn’t play a role in flavor, so I buy the oddly shaped ones with confidence..
Verdict: use your nose for picking good strawberries.
To pick a good watermelon, hold it in your arms and feel its weight. A ripe watermelon will feel heavy for its size because it’s full of juice. Also, look for a yellow spot on the otherwise green rind, since that’s a sign of ripeness. Finally give your watermelon a thump with your finger. If you hear a deep hollow sound it’s probably perfect.
What To Serve With Watermelon Salad
I love to take this side dish to barbecues to offset the heaviness of grilled meats. It’s vegan and gluten-free, so I feel good putting it on the table for guests with dietary restrictions as well. Here are a few summer cookout favorites I pair it with:
- The Best Three Bean Salad
- Japanese Coleslaw (Kyabetsu Salad)
- Vegan Barbecue “Pulled Pork” Sandwich
- Mint Lemonade
- Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
Did you like this fruity salad? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Strawberry, Tomatillo and Watermelon Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chopping – Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
My refreshing, thirst quenching summer watermelon salad is calling your name! The freshness is straight-up invigorating. It only takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 3 cups watermelon (rind and big seeds removed), chopped bite size
- 8 strawberries, hulled and chopped bite size
- 1 cup tomatillos, chopped bite size
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 12 mint leaves, shredded
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the fruit. Put watermelon, strawberries, tomatillo and shallots in a bowl and gently toss.
- Add oil and vinegar. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar and gently toss once more.
- Season and garnish. Sprinkle black pepper and top with mint. Season with a little salt and serve immediately.
Notes
Keep this salad refrigerated for up to 1 day in a storage container. Tip: Soak the sliced shallot in cold water for 10-15 minutes to remove some of the bitterness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10.6g
- Sodium: 3.5mg
- Fat: 7.6g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14.1g
- Fiber: 1.7g
- Protein: 1.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Questions and Reviews
Could you add feta to this?
Hi Patty! Yes, feta will pair beautifully with this salad 🙂
I just made this as a side to our dinner. WOW!! might be the best salad I have ever had!!
The photos are very nice! Very delicious and amazing!
Hi,
I just want to confirm about the tomatillas… It shows a can of them on the recipe page. So it is canned tomatillas in the salad? I was going to buy fresh until I saw that. I can’t wait to try this.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Karyn, it’s 1 cup fresh tomatillos (not canned) 🙂
I don’t really like mint leaves. Could I sub basil or maybe parsley? What do you think?
Hi Nat! I think basil would be delicious with this!
This salad recipe looks so yummy that I just had to feature it in my “Sensational Summer Salads” roundup! Come check it out when you have a chance 🙂 http://dreamingofleaving.com/2016/05/10/sensational-summer-salads/ xo
Thank you Jess! Will share you link!
ABSOLUTELY delish!!
I’m thinking of adding some cashews and celery next time
Great idea Patti, the cashews would add a nice crunch to the salad!
I don’t have shallots. Could I leave them out? Or what should I sub?
Lauren, Runholy.com
Hi Lauren! You can use a red onion, chop it and add chopped pieces in a little water and vinegar for about 10 minutes. This will remove some of the pungency and make them taste just as mild and delicious as shallots!
We don’t have Tomatilleos in Alberta what else could I use?
Hi Barbara,
The taste of tomatillos is very hard to replicate but you could try using green tomatoes that taste sour. I recommend doing a taste test before adding them to your salad as not all green tomatoes taste the same. I hope this helps!
What a great combo! Going to include it in our strwberry roundup tomorrow on the site x
Mmm I’ve been wanting to use tomatillos in a recipe for a while now. Love the mix of sweet and savoury flavours!
Taylor, I wanted to do the same and the combination of sweet and tart was just fantastic! P.S: I used to live in Rosedale 🙂 a quick walk to Yonge and Bloor. I miss Toronto so much!