Watermelon Rind Salad…. inspired by classic Thai flavors, it’s easy to make and Oh, so very refreshing!
I pretty sure my Mom would have loved it, and this post is my way of honoring her and celebrating her on the day she would have turned 95!
Also…. I launched this blog on Aug 16, 2020, which means that The Culinary Heart turns SIX today! How time has flown since that first post 6 years ago!
The very name for this blog brings Mom to mind. To me, she epitomized culinary excellence in all its aspects: creativity…. imagination… expert technique… meticulous attention to detail… and Ohh, SO much more… The lady with ‘The Culinary Heart’, indeed!
Watermelon rind ….. Yeah…. that white layer between the skin and the beautiful pink-red watermelon flesh. Most folks throw it away…. but did you ever wonder if it was a mistake to do so?
Turns out, this juicy and somewhat crunchy rind is actually perfectly edible! And, perhaps not surprisingly, it is packed with the same nutrients as the sweet part of the watermelon – minus all the sugar, of course!
In fact, it has significantly more fiber – almost 10 times as much as the red part! The extra fiber in the rind helps slow down sugar absorption in the gut, which means…. NO sugar spikes!
But, of course, that’s not all… the rind also packs a whole lot of other micronutrients that support your well-being.
Watermelon rind has blood pressure-lowering L-citrulline
Do you really need more reasons to eat watermelon rind in some form or shape? Let me share some more facts then….
Watermelon rind has a significant amount of the amino acid called L-citrulline. Interestingly, while It’s there in the red flesh too, the rind has much more of it, especially in the part close to the tough green skin.
This amino acid has been shown to reduce blood pressure – both systolic as well as diastolic! It is also known to improve exercise recovery and decrease muscle soreness after high intensity exercise.
So… Why just toss away the watermelon rind? After all, why waste all the amazingly good stuff that nature has so generously given us?
Why not change perspective and start thinking of it as a ‘vegetable’, rather than as the ‘discardable’ part of a ‘fruit’? Hmm….
Watermelon rind – taste/texture like Ash Gourd ( wintermelon, Petha, Kohlaa…)
I explored online for interesting recipe ideas… and found several! That sure got my creative juices flowing… and made me plunge into a new bout of experimentation!
The taste and texture of watermelon rind reminds me a little of Ash Gourd (Wintermelon, Petha, Kohlaa… etc.)… it’s also a bit like cucumber. So I tried some straight-forward ‘swaps’…. using watermelon rind instead of Ash Gourd and/or cucumber in various recipes: stir-fry, soup, salad, dips…. To my great delight, they all seemed to work quite well.
Armed now with a much better idea of how to use my new ‘toy’, I was ready to get beyond the ‘swap’ theme…. and to create something ‘new’!
Watermelon Rind – New recipe ideas
I simply followed my instincts…. and I’m quite thrilled that I now have several ‘new’ recipes that have watermelon rind as a key ingredient!
Here, I’m sharing one that I’ve completely fallen in love with… The Watermelon Rind Salad – inspired by one of my favorite Asian-style salads – Green Papaya Salad (Thai style).
For some time now, I’ve been experimenting with different ‘swaps’ for green papaya. What if I get a sudden craving for this salad, but can’t seem find green papaya anywhere?
Recently, purely on a whim, I decided to use watermelon rind instead. I looked in the fridge for further inspiration and found a few spears of asparagus. Aha! Maybe I could use that instead of green beans! And so it went…. until the salad I made that day was definitely not just a ‘use watermelon rind instead of green papaya’!
Shared with a few friends and they all loved it… and so, a new recipe was born!
How to make Watermelon Rind Salad
How to make this refreshing salad? It’s super easy, once you have cut the watermelon rind into matchsticks, julienne-style.
Yeah… this part is definitely a bit time-consuming…. But, Hey… You can do it 1-2 days in advance!
Then, when you’re ready to serve the salad, simply combine the prepared rind with the other salad ingredients…. toss together with the easy-to-make dressing…. and serve!
What are these ‘other’ salad ingredients? Tomatoes, green onions, Thai Basil…. and fresh Asparagus! Green Papaya Salad typically has green beans, of course… but there’s no reason to try something different, is there?
Why did I use asparagus? Well, because I happen to love it….. and it was sitting in my fridge…. and it’s also really easy to prep… and cook… And.. best of all, it tasted amazing in the salad!
As for a bit of nutty crunch and a boost of Omega-3 fats? Roasted peanuts, black sesame seeds and raw hemp seeds (hulled)…
And the salad dressing? Again…. Easy Peasy! Soy sauce and rice vinegar-based, it is sweet, tart and spicy… citrussy, garlicky and ginger-y….. and, of course, Umami too! How can it not be Yumm?!
Lots of interesting new recipes…
Do you like trying out interesting and tasty recipes from a range of global culinary traditions…. and that also pack good nutrition?
Here are some you might want to try…
- Urad Vada Bites – with watermelon rind… a new take on the widely popular Medu Vada…
- Colorful Ash Gourd Salad – tangy and tasty, reap the many benefits of winter melon…
- Beetroot Koshimbir – simple Maharashtrian salad, great with any meal, any cuisine…
- Kale Chowder – creamy, hearty and satisfying… with a nutrient bonus from Kale – the ‘superfood’…
- Turnip-Carrot Slaw – inspired by traditional cabbage slaw, it’s also nutty and spicy…
I hope you try some of these tasty dishes, and other recipes I’ve posted as well.
Enjoy with friends and family… Please do post reviews and star ratings… Thanks!
Special Diets
This Watermelon Rind Salad is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
To make it soy-free, use soy-free coconut aminos – note that you might need to add a bit of salt. To make nut-free salad, replace crushed roasted peanuts with crushed pumpkin seeds. If you cannot have sesame seeds, simply omit them.
If you would prefer to not have garlic, just replace it with grated fresh ginger.
So… Go ahead and make this salad the next time you pick up some watermelon! Surprise your friends with this gorgeous looking creation… Ask them to guess the ingredients… And watch their reaction when you tell them what your ‘mystery’ ingredient is!
Do leave a review and star rating… many thanks for doing so!
Enjoy!
Watermelon Rind Salad – Refreshing and Easy to Make
Equipment
- Glass/Ceramic microwave safe bowl to quick-cook the asparagus in the microwave. If microwave is not available, see Recipe Notes for alternate cooking directions.
- Glass/Ceramic Salad bowl If not available, stainless steel bowl is fine as well. Note: Please do NOT use aluminum trays for mixing/storing/serving this salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Watermelon rind – about 80 g cut into matchsticks – julienned
- 2 tbsp Fresh Asparagus – (about 3-4 spears – sliced into 1/4 inch pieces – leave 1 inch tips whole for garnish I do NOT recommend using frozen or canned asparagus in this recipe
- 1/4 cup Fresh Green onions – sliced into 1/4 inch pieces (about 3-4 scallion stalks)
- 1/4 cup Fresh Thai Basil – hand-torn or coarsely chopped if not available, use chopped Cilantro instead; it has a slightly different flavor, of course.
- 4-5 whole Grape/Cherry tomatoes – halved lengthwise If not available, use about 3 tbsp regular tomatoes, (diced medium)
- 1 tsp Roasted peanuts – coarsely crushed
- 1 tsp Hemp Seeds (hulled) If not available, substitute with coarsely crushed roasted peanuts
- 1 tsp Black Sesame seeds If not available, use brown/white sesame seeds instead; if no sesame seeds are available, simply omit and use extra (1 tsp) crushed roasted peanuts instead.
- 1/4 cup Thai Basil – hand-torn or coarsely chopped Note: Tear/chop leaves just before serving – they have a tendency to turn dark and discolored very quickly; Reserve 2-3 sprig tips for garnish (at the end)
- 4-5 leaves Crisp Romaine leaves if not available, use any other available lettuce variety
For the Salad Dressing
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce – low sodium preferred To make soy-free dressing, use coconut aminos instead
- 2 tsp Rice vinegar or Apple cider vinegar If using apple cider vinegar, I recommend using the unfiltered, unpasteurized kind
- 1/2 tsp Dried Galangal powder If not available, use 1/2 tsp dried ginger powder, or 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Garlic – minced NOTE: OMIT if using fresh red chilli-garlic paste, other wise it will become way too garlicky!
- 1/4 tsp Fresh red chilli paste (without garlic) Home-made (see link in Recipe notes) or store bought ('Sambal Oelek' is excellent); you can add up to 1/4 tsp more if you like it spicy; NOTE: If using fresh red chilli-garlic paste, omit adding fresh minced garlic – see note above.
- 2 tsp Jaggery Gul/Gud ( Marathi/Hindi); unrefined sugar if not available, use brown sugar or even regular white sugar
Garnish
- 2-3 tips Thai Basil sprig tips Note: Tear/chop leaves just before serving – they have a tendency to turn dark and discolored very quickly.
Instructions
- Slice the watermelon into 1/2 inch slices. Then use a sturdy knife to slice away the tough green skin.
- Now collect the white rind. Once the skin and rind is removed, you can cut up the sweet and juicy red fruit.
- Thinly slice the rind pieces into match-sticks.Yeah, it's a bit time-consuming, but unless you're making a huge batch, it really isn't too bad.Besides, you can do all this up to a couple of days in advance!
- Make the simple salad dressing, inspired by the flavors of Thai-style Green Papaya Salad.Measure the soy sauce into a small bowl and add apple cider vinegar, fresh red chilli paste, galangal powder (or ginger powder) and minced garlic.
- Add jaggery, stir and set aside to allow flavors the blend while you prepare and assemble all the salad ingredients.
- Prepare the asparagus:Trim the woody ends of each asparagus spear by letting it snap naturally near the bottom end. How to do this? Grip the bottom edge (the cut edge) of the spear in one hand; then grip the stalk, about 1 1/2 -2 inches (4-6 cm) away from the edge, with your other hand using your thumb and forefinger. Bend the part between your hands gently, but firmly: the stalk quickly 'snaps'. It usually snaps at the point where the stalk stops being woody and fibrous – often about 1- 1 1/2 inches away from the bottom edge.Note: This "snapping" method is not always completely reliable and can sometimes be somewhat wasteful. I like to check by trying to slice the snapped-off bottom ends, to see if I can salvage and collect a bit more of the tender stalk. Collect the tender stalks in a bunch and slice them about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) , leaving the 'tip' of the spears intact (about 1 inch long) – they look really pretty and make a nice garnish!
- Place the prepared asparagusin a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, splash about 1 tsp water over the top, and microwave on Hi for 30-40 seconds. (Note: If microwave is not available, please see Recipe Notes for detailed stove-top cooking directions.)The asparagus turns bright green and it is tender-crisp – you do not want it to get overcooked and limp! Immediately transfer to a dinner plate and set aside, uncovered, to cool quickly. Set aside until ready to assemble and serve the salad.
- Rinse the green onions, shake off the excess water and slice them all the way to the roots.
- Rinse and slice the grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) in half – lengthwise. Note: Select and use small-sized tomatoes in this salad. If you only have somewhat large grape tomatoes, cut each half across (NOT lengthwise!) to make half-moon pieces.Note: If grape/cherry tomatoes are not available, use regular tomatoes – select a ripe, but firm tomato – it should not become squishy when tossed with dressing. Cut it into medium-sized chunks, about the same size as halved grape tomatoes.
- Trim and rinse the Thai Basil. If stem is tender, you can use it; if the stem is tough and woody, strip the leaves and use only the leaves. Set aside until ready to add to the salad. Select a few pretty-looking sprig-tips for garnish (top 2-4 leaves). Hand-tear or coarsely chop the rest of the leaves to mix into the salad.
- Assemble all the salad ingredients in a large bowl or baking tray – I highly recommend using a glass bowl/tray: julienned watermelon rind, tomatoes, green onions, asparagus, hulled hemp seeds and black sesame seeds.Note: Please do NOT use aluminum bowls/trays for making and/or serving this salad. (The acidic dressing and the tomatoes react with aluminum – this is NOT good for your health)!)
- About 10 min before serving the salad, drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad. Then squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime – about 2 tsp – all over the salad.
- Toss together gently, with salad tongs or 2 wide spoons, until the dressing is well distributed throughout. Serve over rinsed and towel-dried Romaine lettuce leaves. Romaine is crisp and gives the salad its own inimitable mild and juicy crunch.Note: If Romaine is not available, use any other lettuce that is available. Serve with any meal, any cuisine…
- Enjoy!
Notes
Home-made Fresh Red chilli paste:
If you’d like to make your own fresh red chilli paste, here’s the link to the one I posted some time ago: https://theculinaryheart.com/easy-red-chilli-paste-make-it-with-fresh-chillies/Â
No microwave?
No worries… Cook asparagus on the stove-top in shallow frying pan.- Heat a medium sized (8-10 inch /20-25 cm) frying pan on medium heat for 30 seconds.
- Add 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt; stir to mix.
- Add the sliced asparagus (both stalks and tips) – spread in a single layer – do not crowd.
- Cook uncovered on Hi heat for about 1 minute: stir a few times to distribute heat evenly. The asparagus will become bright green and most of the water will have evaporated. Turn heat off.Â
- Immediately transfer the tender-crisp cooked asparagus to a dinner plate. Set aside – uncovered – to quickly cool to room temp. This will prevent the asparagus from becoming overcooked and limp.
- Set aside until ready to assemble and serve the salad.
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