There’s a popular culinary saying that what grows together goes together, and in the case of this summery tomato-watermelon salad, that's definitely true. Crisp, fresh watermelon and ripe tomatoes are a perfect pairing for an easy, fresh hot weather salad. Here, the two sweet, juicy fruits (yes, tomatoes are a fruit) are perfectly complemented by fresh mint and creamy, salty feta cheese.
While the combination of ingredients makes total sense, for the perfect tomato-watermelon salad we had to ensure that the fruity watermelon and tomato flavors didn’t get drowned out when tossed with savory ingredients. Seasoned recipe developer Julia Levy put the salad through its paces in our test kitchen to get a version that is salty, sweet, acidic, and with a hint of spice.
Julia also figured out a way to tame the juiciness of the two star ingredients while preserving their texture and flavor. The result is a salad that's not just delicious, but also has an absolutely gorgeous presentation to show off summer's bounty. Here are a few tips for making it.
7 Simple Tips for the Best Tomato-Watermelon Salad
- Start with three types of tomatoes. As clichéd as it may sound, this salad really is a celebration of summer’s bounty. And we lean into this idea by calling for not just one type of tomato, but three varieties. The larger heirloom tomatoes (any larger heirloom variety will work well here) are thinly sliced and fanned out underneath the dressed salad. This creates a gorgeous presentation, but it’s also practical: The undressed thin slices of tomatoes will catch all of the excess dressing and juices from the tossed salad that’s layered on top of it, so none of the flavorful dressing is lost on the plate. Smaller cocktail and cherry tomatoes, which are bursting with sweet flavor, are cut and tossed with the dressing and the watermelon. For a really pretty salad, we recommend looking for multicolored tomatoes.
- Salt and drain the heirloom tomatoes. We use our go-to Serious Eats technique of salting and draining tomatoes with the thinly sliced cocktail tomatoes in this recipe. It not only ensures the tomatoes are dry and don’t leach excess water onto the serving platter, but salting them in advance draws out their water to concentrate the tomato's flavor.
- Marinate the cherry and cocktail tomatoes. While salting the larger sliced tomatoes keeps them from leaving behind an unwanted puddle of juices, with the smaller cherry tomatoes and cocktail tomatoes that marinate in the dressing, we actually want a puddle of tomato juices collecting on the bottom of the bowl. In the case of this salad the flavorful tomato liquid contributes to the dressing—it adds fresh vegetal flavor to the salad that pairs well with the sweet watermelon.
- Let the salad sit. The naturally released liquids from the cherry tomatoes are critical in this recipe. When combined with the added acid, oil, salt, and chile in the dressing, the juices from the cherry tomatoes form an even more flavorful dressing. To this end, it's necessary to let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so there's time for the dressing to "make itself." The marinated, softened cherry tomatoes are also a welcome contrast in texture to the crisp watermelon.
- Add the watermelon just before serving. While the tomatoes benefit from being pre-salted or marinated to draw out excess moisture, Levy found that pre-treating the watermelon with salt negatively affected its texture. Instead, to retain the watermelon’s crips bite, it is best to not salt the watermelon in advance, and instead to toss it with the dressed cut cherry tomatoes right before serving.
- Balance the sweet watermelon and tomatoes with an assertive dressing. To counter the juiciness and sweetness of the watermelon and the tomatoes, we made an intense dressing with assertive ingredients such as white balsamic vinegar, honey, lime juice and zest, and fresh serrano chile for a welcome kick.
- Finish with feta and mint. Fresh mint and salty, creamy feta cheese add not only an attractive array of colors, but these final garnishes also bring welcome contrasting textures to the soft tomatoes and the crisp watermelon, as well as a pop of earthy flavor from the mint, and a briny, salty bite from the cheese. Levy found it best to sprinkle both the mint and feta on top before serving. When they were tossed into the salad, their vibrant colors were lost when coated in the dressing.
In a medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, honey, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in shallot and let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in oil, lime zest and juice, and serrano.
Toss cocktail and cherry tomatoes in dressing and let sit at room temperature to marinate for 30 minutes, gently tossing occasionally.
While the cocktail and cherry tomatoes marinate, place the heirloom tomato slices on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Pour any accumulated tomato juices into the dressing mixture.
Arrange heirloom tomato slices on a serving platter. Gently toss watermelon cubes with cocktail and cherry tomatoes and dressing; using a slotted spoon, spoon tomato and watermelon salad over heirloom tomato slices. Sprinkle with feta, mint, and flaky salt. Serve immediately with the remaining marinade/dressing on the side for drizzling.
Special Equipment
Wire rack and rimmed baking sheet
Notes
Cocktail tomatoes are small tomatoes on the vine, roughly the size of a golf ball. Any small heirloom tomato will work well here. If you can't find them, you can simply use additional cherry tomatoes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This salad is best eaten fresh, but it can sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours, or be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Note that as it sits, excess liquid will puddle on the bottom.
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