Friday, July 20, 2012

watermelon chickpea salad with mint & jalepeno




It's hot this summer. I mean SCORCHING. And dry. With temps in the 100ºs most days and no rain, we need a super hero to rescue our mouths. Watermelon! There are not many things that are more refreshing than a crisp, juicy watermelon. To many, they are the epitome of summer. And, they are often scooped into balls! Perfect. Here is a simple, yet interesting salad using this super hero fruit.



Watermelon Chickpea Salad with Mint and Jalapeno
-1 personal-sized watermelon, or 1/2 a small watermelon
-1 shallot, diced
-1/2 small red onion, quartered and sliced thin
-1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-1 jalapeno , finely diced
-1 handful mint leaves, chopped fine
-3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
-1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
-2 Tablespoons olive oil
-salt and pepper
Use a melon baller to scoop the flesh of the watermelon into balls. Place in a bowl with shallot, onion and chickpeas. Put the rest of the ingredients into a tightly-sealing container and shake until everything is combined and mostly emulsified. Pour over the melon mixture and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate. The flavors will develop overnight, but be aware that so will the juices... it doesn't get soggy, but you will need a slotted spoon to scoop it. This would also make a delightful salsa, if you chop up the watermelon more.



Year of the Balls posts:



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful salad!! Just got a watermelon in this week's CSA, so thanks for the inspiration!