This is a super simple salad that is refreshing and delicious. It is based on the Arab like for the contrasting flavors of sweet watermelon with salty Arab cheese. However, this version has been given a decadent upgrade with burrata cheese and pistachio nuts.
This salad is perfect for summer, light and refreshing with a touch of creamy from the cheese. Your palate will love the contrasts in flavors, sweet watermelon, salty cheese and herby mint, they create a beautiful confluence of flavors.
This is relatively new cookbook in my library. It is filled with contemporary Arab recipes, each one a delight, like this one. Each recipe has an introduction that precedes it explaining the origins of the dish and its history, something I really enjoy reading and a cuisine I have so much to learn about. It is a wonderful cookbook, one you will definitely see me cook from again.
For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
3 cups watermelons, cubed and deseeded
1/4 cup mint, roughly minced
1 teaspoon lime zest, or orange zest
A generous drizzle of olive oil
8 oz. burrata, or fresh mozzarella cheese
3-4 teaspoons pistachios, lightly toasted
A good large grain salt, to taste
Add the watermelon to a bowl. Toss with the mint. lime zest and olive oil. Arrange the watermelon in a shallow wide bowl, in a single layer, or two. Top with pieces of the burrata cheese and sprinkle with the pistachios. Serve immediately with salt on the side. Let your guests add the salt at the table so they can feel the crunch while enjoying the salad.
To serve the watermelon as a wedge: Cut a thick wedge of watermelon. Carve the flesh from the rind in a smooth curve. Toss the watermelon with the lime zest and olive oil. Alternate pieces of the watermelon wit the burrata cheese. Stick in small buds or leaves of the mint in between the watermelon and cheese. Sprinkle with pistachios. Serve with large grain salt.