This watermelon carpaccio will be your new favourite summer dish. Sweet watermelon, spicy radishes and salty cheese, all topped with a mint vinaigrette. Serve it as an appetizer, light dinner or as a side dish next to fish, shrimps or meat.
Watermelon is THE summer fruit. I still remember, when I was little, every summer at the river, we used to bring a big watermelon with us. We chilled it directly in the cold river. Chilled watermelon (and any other melon) taste the best.
Moreover, back then the watermelon still had those small black seeds. In fact, every time, we created a game out of it, for example, who spits them further. Wink. That was fun. Nowadays, you find mostly seedless ones. They are still delicious and in this case, also perfect for our recipe. Watermelon carpaccio should be seedless. Wink.
Slicing the watermelon in thin round slices
The trick to a perfect watermelon carpaccio is to cut the watermelon into really thin, almost see-through slices. Everything between 1-3 mm will be great. Besides making them thin, try to leave a thin layer of the white rind around them, too. The white layer is edible and it looks nice.
Most importantly, be careful when slicing the watermelon. It can be quite slippery. And, the combo of a sharp knife and slippery watermelon is not such a good idea. Therefore, I suggest asking someone to help you holding the watermelon while you slice it.
Do you also like to combine fruits with vegetables, sweet with salty? If you are one of my followers, you’ll know by now that I love to combine different flavours and textures. Oh yeah, I love the colours, the combinations of flavours and the crunch. For example, check out these great recipes: pea and radish chicken salad, the super green savoury wild garlic pancakes, a healthy spring blueberry arugula salad, a creamy camembert-pear farfalle pasta, this amazing beetroot carpaccio or stuffed roasted chicken.
Feta cheese – salty, tangy
However, I combined the watermelon carpaccio with creamy and a bit salty feta cheese, just like Jamie Oliver in his “Quick and easy food” show. He inspires me a lot. Why? Because his recipes and how he presents them and talks about them are just simple, easy and passionate. All the recipes are gorgeous. Wink.
I am sure you all know feta cheese. Usually, it’s in the form of a small square block, made of sheep milk or a mixture of sheep and goat milk. It’s a lovely salty alternative to other cheeses. Not only it’s delicious, creamy and a bit tangy, but it’s also rich in proteins, vitamins B and B12, sodium and calcium. And, it’s lower in fat than other aged cheeses. Woohoo.
A super quick mint vinaigrette
Before I get to the crunch part, let me say a couple of words about the vinaigrette. You simply have to make this lovely and super easy mint vinaigrette. In fact, all you need is olive oil, fresh mint leaves, vinegar and some salt and you have a great fresh vinaigrette for your summer salad.
As I already mentioned, I love the crunch and I found it in radishes. Wink. Radishes are an amazing, small and cute vegetable. I love them. They are such a fun food, which you can combine in salads, soups, with meat and fish or simply eat as a snack. They are crispy and spicy, healthy and delicious. Therefore, they are perfect for this watermelon carpaccio. I believe they make a great contrast with sweet watermelon and salty cheese.
Have I convinced you that watermelon is a wonderful summer fruit, which can be used in plenty of ways? Wink. Additionally, for more inspirations click on these delicious melon and watermelon recipes: watermelon pineapple skewers, eye-catching prosciutto melon spaghetti, a delicious Cantaloupe melon arugula salad, a healthy green bowl and a super-easy chicken with watermelon salsa.
Ingredients for one big serving plate of watermelon carpaccio (for 2 people):
- 10-12 slices of watermelon (seedless)
- 5 smaller red radishes
- 1-2 Tbsp of pine nuts
- 100 g feta cheese
- 2 Tbsp of olive oil
- 4 Tbsp of vinegar
- salt
- around 10 fresh mint leaves (half for dressing)
In order to cut the watermelon into round and thin slices, firstly, trim off a small piece on one of the ends (where the bellybutton ist) and roll the watermelon with the cut part down (it will keep it stable). Secondly, peel the top half of the melon using a knife. Simply cut off the rind, BUT leave only a really thin thin thin layer of white here and there. Thirdly, flip the melon on a side and slice it slowly and carefully, just like you would slice a salami. You can ask someone for help when slicing it.
Furthermore, wash the radishes and slice them or simply cut them in half (I also left the green on them). Then, take half of the mint leaves and roughly chop them. For the vinaigrette, combine olive oil, vinegar, salt and the chopped mint, give it a good stir and put aside.
Finally, nicely arrange the watermelon slices on a larger serving plate and top them with sliced radishes and fresh mint leaves. Then, add the crumbled feta cheese, some drippings of the vinaigrette and some pine nuts. This watermelon carpaccio makes a wonderful dinner or light lunch. You can also serve it with some grilled shrimps or white fish.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
