Watermelon Salsa: sweet with a bite. Refreshing summer appetizer. Juicy watermelon, jalapeño pepper, sweet red onion, cilantro and mint combine with tart fresh-squeezed lime juice and honeydew melon. The perfect summer salsa twist!
I sure do love watermelon in summertime! Watermelon sherbet, watermelon ice cream, watermelon slushies and watermelon sorbet. And how about an ice cold watermelon triangle? Sweet, juicy and refreshing.
A friend of mine worked in the fields in North Carolina growing up. Today he’s a grandfather, but he hoed the rows as a teenager. Picked the beans, corn and peas.
Loved working with his hands, and it was really hard work. Most days it was sweltering hot out in the fields.
But he smiles about the breaks, that mid-afternoon rush to the watermelon patch with the crew. Smashing open a big, juicy one. Diving into the sweet, face first!
They say if you’re looking for the perfect, ripe watermelon, pick one that feels heavy for its size. It should have a creamy yellow spot on its underside where it ripened in the sun. And you probably know a watermelon is 92% water.
Some people know how to thump a watermelon to tell if it’s good one. I think it must be an art. Kind souls have spied my bewildered face at the bin trying to pick the perfect one. They’ve even volunteered to help.
Confidently, they thump away and finally announce, “This one — it’s perfect!” (But truth be told, the thumps all sound identical to me. Proof I didn’t grow up working on a farm in the south!)
This Watermelon Salsa is quick and easy to make. Dice ripe watermelon, honeydew melon and sweet red onion. Chop fresh cilantro and mint. Mince jalapeño pepper fine. Combine it all with fresh squeezed lime juice and some coarse salt. This is the salsa we’ll be making all summer long at our house.
Play with the amounts of cilantro and mint. It’s a great excuse to taste test along the way. (Not that I’d know or anything.) Give all the ingredients a gentle stir in the bowl and serve immediately with pita chips.
You’ll find that lime juice and salt draw the juice out of the watermelon over time. Just drain some if needed. This salsa is incredibly sweet and delicious, and the watermelon contrasts perfectly with the spicy jalapeño peppers. So fresh. Hope you love it too!
Watermelon Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced ripe watermelon
- 1 cup diced ripe honeydew melon
- 1 small jalapeño pepper ribs and seeds removed diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and serve with pita chips.
Notes
You may also like: Garden Fresh Mango Salsa
Renee says
Yummy! I’m also a huge fan of watermelon. I’ve done a watermelon salad, but never a salsa. This is a must try! Pinning 🙂
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
This looks so refreshing and light! Love the colors too!
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Oh Allie, I haven’t mastered the art of Watermelon thumping either! One of these days my friend – we will have it down pat – no pun intended there 🙂
I adore watermelon too and I am dying with delight at all these flavors you have mingling – watermelon and jalapeño pepper and sweet red onion with cilantro and mint combine with lime juice and honeydew melon – wow! This would be delightful to dig into – a conversation sparker if any!
I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend sweet friend! XOXO
Denise says
My mouth is watering already! I can’t wait to make this.
Aunt Pinkie says
Boy, does that look refreshing! Am not a cilantro fan, but perhaps this once…
Allie says
Oh thank you Aunt Pinkie! Maybe you could try basil in place of the cilantro? I bet that would be good. Or maybe even some fresh parsley and extra mint.
Adina says
I looooove watermelons but I am not good in picking them, it is really up to chance every time. A few weeks ago I bought one that was inedible and made jam out of it. Also good, but I’d rather have a fresh, sweet, juicy watermelon instead. This salad looks wonderful, I can just imagine the taste.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
We love watermelon salsa! Can’t wait to try your variation!
Tony says
I want some right now. Yum. Very summery.,
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
The thumping never works for me either. I don’t know what I’m hearing. I think I’ll try the “Heavy for it’s size” test. That I should be able to do. I love fruit salsas. They are so fresh and light tasting. Watermelon salsa sounds like a winner!
Carina says
This sounds amazing, Allie! I’d never heard of using watermelon in a salsa, but now that I have, I really, really want to try it. Thanks for the tips on picking a good watermelon. I am pretty good at picking a good one, but rely solely on intuition. Haha… I also knock on them, as I’d heard you are supposed to, but don’t know what I am listening for. Hope you are enjoying June and this time with the family. (P.s. Loved the re-post this weekend – Not buried, but planted. Very encouraging and inspirational. ) Take care. Xoxo
Marye says
I absolutely love fruit salsas! This looks so good!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
This sounds so refreshing and light! I’ll bet this would be delicious on fish tacos!
Catherine says
Dear Allie, picking the right melon is definitely an art. I must agree..I feel like I’m gambling each time. This watermelon salsa is so refreshing and delicious. What a perfect summer recipe to make. Sounds so good dear with the added kick from the peppers. xo, Catherine
Joan Romboli says
What a great idea. Who doesn’t love watermelon. Looks Yummy!!!! Thanks for this one Allie. Joan
Eva says
What a nice idea Allie! J’adore la pastèque et ta recette est vraiment original, il faut vraiment que je la fais pour mon prochaine apéritif! xo
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Allie, this is the perfect salsa for summer! So refreshing!
Carol says
Hi Allie!
So this is definitely not the way I usually enjoy my watermelon and it looks wonderful and I cannot wait to try it.
So I just want to take this opportunity to update you on some things. I have been busy and it just does not stop. We got our new island put in last week. It is BEAUTIFUL. I am going to take pictures of it soon so I might figure out how to share with you. I love all the storage space as well as prep space, because the previous island did not have any storage to it.
Now sad to say the beautiful wall oven we have only had 2 years decided to die after the first time I used self cleaning option on it. I read another review about this oven when I first bought it and someone had also complained about this same issue, but I thought that maybe it was an isolated incident and I really wanted to clean oven since I had a bit of mishap earlier in day. OH my GOSH!!!! what a costly thing to encounter. First of all wall ovens are limited in store, so I have to wait 4 weeks at least, and then another day of installing. I know it should not take a full day to do but from past experience with cleaning and always these things take a bit of effort to install. But my new oven is a beaut, so I will have to focus on that. Not that this older one was not great, but I am hoping this one will even be better. Guaranteed the worst part is trying to figure out how to cook with only toaster oven. I am so glad to have barbeque, as well. I cannot imagine if this would happen in cold winter time. I would still barbeque, but it would be tough to endure.
ON the upside, i went out and treated myself to a lovely wine fridge! How fitting is that!???!! I need a good amount of wine to keep my sanity right now!
So another trip to Boston is slated for September. I want to see that lovely place in fall, so I cannot wait.
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful spring! xoxo
Allie says
Carol!!!! I loved hearing from you and I’m glad things are coming along so wonderfully with your new kitchen island. I would love to see the pictures, if you have time, please feel free to e-mail them to me at [email protected] So sad about your oven, I’m sorry. Our new oven had a major problem the first time we self-cleaned it too. I think this is common. In fact – why I chose to self-clean it the day before Thanksgiving I’ll never know, with a 33 lb. turkey to cook and many guests arriving the next day, etc. and suddenly an oven that didn’t work. Thankfully we were able to get one of the ovens to work in time, since it’s a double, so we were ok after all. Let me know how you like your new oven, I hope you have it by now or are about to get it. Yes, the grill saved us many times while we were installing our new kitchen last year. I’m so excited to hear about your new wine fridge!!!! It sounds lovely. Does it fit in your kitchen? I have seen those and always thought how wonderful it would be to have one. And you are coming to Boston again? Good for you. You will love Boston in the fall. We have been going to Boston a good bit, but not for fun. Our littlest guy Hudson (9) who has Down syndrome and autism has had a lot of complications and he is having his first surgery for sleep apnea this summer. There have been so many appointments because all his exams and care for ears, eyes and dental is switching to be under sedation at Boston Children’s. Little by little we will hopefully solve some of these issues. Jon and I are going to Newburyport, MA this week for an overnight to celebrate our #26 anniversary. Newburyport is a seaport town in NH not far from MA, and about 15 miles from Portsmouth, NH, another seaport town that you would love. I wish you all the best in your Boston visit. My blogger friend Cathy in Seattle just did a great post on Boston – her son is going to BU, so I’ll leave the link here in hopes it will help you find some great off the beaten path treasures for your Boston trip: https://noblepig.com/2019/06/where-to-eat-play-and-sleep-in-boston-massachusetts/ Have fun!!!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I love fruit salsas but haven’t made watermelon salsa yet! I will need to give it a try, but first I will have to pick out a perfect watermelon. I’m not very good with selecting a good one. It’s really hit or miss for me.
Allie says
Thanks so much Kathy!!! Sure hope you enjoy and good luck on the watermelon hunt. We planted one watermelon plant in our garden this year and so far it is still alive, so will have to see what happens. I’d love to actually grow a good watermelon myself.
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Millican Pecan says
What a great idea! I love that there is honeydew melon in it also! So light and flavorful, definitely a new summertime favorite!